Helicopter carrying Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi crashes in mountains
The Guardian, International
A helicopter carrying the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, and his foreign minister crashed on a fog-covered mountainside, with search and rescue teams rushing to the area as state media called for nationwide prayers.
State TV reported that the helicopter had been found on Sunday evening, well after dark, and quoted an official as saying that at least one passenger and one crew member had been in contact with rescuers.
Still, details were scant and sometimes conflicting, including Iranian Red Crescent rescuers later saying no helicopter had been found.
With no published information of whether the president was alive or dead, the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who holds ultimate power in the Islamic Republic – sought to reassure the nation.
Iranians should not worry or be anxious, he said, adding: “No disruption will occur in Iran’s state affairs.”