Iran President Raisi’s Helicopter Makes “Hard Landing” Near Azerbaijan | Bad Weather Impedes Rescue

A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suffered a “hard landing,” Iran’s state TV reported on May 19. Raisi was travelling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province when the incident took place, according to reports. State TV said the incident happened near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, some 600 km northwest of Tehran. Rescuers were attempting to reach the site, state TV said, but had been hampered by poor weather conditions in the area. There had been heavy rain reported with some wind in the region, according to reports. Travelling with Raisi were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province and other officials, IRNA reported. One local government official used the word “crash” to describe the incident, but he said he had yet to reach the site himself.