Rescue teams launch search for Iranian president's helicopter

The helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was involved in a "hard landing" on Sunday afternoon, The Jerusalem Post reported citing Iranian media.

Soon after incident, rescue teams reached the city of Jolfa in the northwestern Iranian province of East Azarbaijan and trying to locate Raisi's helicopter which made hard-landing, Press TV reported.

The details of the incident remain unknown as of now, however, initial reports suggest that the accident involved the president's helicopter and foggy weather.

According to Iran's Tasnim News Agency, emergency services were conducting searches to try and find the president's helicopter, but the foggy weather in the area was complicating search efforts.

The Foreign Minister of Iran, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and the representative of the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist in East Azerbaijan, Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, and the Imam of Friday Prayer in Tabriz, were reportedly in the helicopter with Raisi, as per The Jerusalem Post.

According to Iranian official media, the convoy consisted of three helicopters, two of which made a safe landing and one of which crashed.

This information was provided by the Deputy Coordinator of Civil Affairs for East Azerbaijan.

The accident comes hours after Raisi had met with Azerbaijani Elham Aliyev earlier on Sunday on the Azerbaijani-Iranian border.

The rescue teams reached the city of Jolfa in the northwestern Iranian province of East Azarbaijan and trying to locate Raisi's helicopter which made hard-landing, Press TV reported.

Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has confirmed that a helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi makes a hard landing in Jolfa, Press TV reported.

According to Iranian official media, the convoy consisted of three helicopters, two of which made a safe landing and one of made a "hard landing".

The incident happened when President Raisi was returning from a ceremony to inaugurate a dam on the Aras River with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev.

Press TV reported that Drone units are being used to assist in the emergency operation.

Moreover, two other helicopters carrying a number of ministers and officials reached the destination safely.

According to authorities, bad weather conditions had made it difficult for rescue teams from the Iranian Red Crescent Society to reach the site of the incident, according to Press TV report.

Further details are awaited.