Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was involved in a “hard landing” incident while aboard a helicopter, as reported by Iranian state television and other media sources. Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi confirmed the incident, stating that the helicopter landed roughly in Jolfa, located in the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan.

Alongside President Raisi, several high-ranking officials, such as Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and East Azarbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, were also on board during the incident, according to reports.

Despite the challenging conditions caused by foggy weather and the area’s inaccessibility, rescue teams were able to reach the site approximately an hour after the incident occurred and initiated a search operation that is currently ongoing. The number of rescue teams dispatched to the area was doubled from 20 to 40 teams, as reported by IRNA.