What We Know About the Helicopter Crash That Killed Iran’s President
The deaths of Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, and foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, in a helicopter crash have left one of the Middle East’s most powerful and disruptive nations at a critical moment.
Here’s a look at what we know about the crash and its potential implications.
What happened?
Mr. Raisi, 63, and Mr. Amir Abdollahian were traveling back from Iran’s border with Azerbaijan after inaugurating a joint dam project when their helicopter went down in a remote and mountainous area around 1 p.m. local time on Sunday, according to state media.
Search and rescue teams battled rain and heavy fog to scour the mountains and dense forest for more than 10 hours, looking for the crash site. The authorities called off the aerial search at one point because of the weather, dispatching elite commandos of the Revolutionary Guards and others on foot.
State television urged the public to pray for the safety of Mr. Raisi and his delegation as the rescue effort — which involved about 2,000 people — stretched through the night.
Search teams found the helicopter on Monday morning as daylight broke, and broadcasts on state television showed images of burning debris. There were no survivors.
