Iranians have been urged to pray for President Ebrahim Raisi’s safety after his helicopter vanished while returning from a Sunday meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.
The helicopter, which also had Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other officials on board, disappeared in dense fog in the mountainous region of northwestern Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian listens to a question in a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad in Tehran, Iran, Monday, July 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The official Fars news agency has asked Iranians to offer prayers, according to a report by the Times of Israel:
Authorities have lost contact with the helicopter in which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was traveling, according to the Iranian Fars news agency.
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Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi says that authorities are awaiting further details on the search and rescue operation, noting that teams are still en route to the apparent crash site due to challenging weather conditions.
Fars urges Iranians to pray for Raisi following these reports.
Earlier on Sunday, the Abu Ali Express news blog reported on the meeting between Raisi and Aliyev, describing it as “disturbing” from Israel’s perspective, given Azerbaijan’s previous friendliness towards Israel.
There is no evidence suggesting the involvement of foreign actors in the crash. As previously reported by Truth Voices, U.S. officials had held indirect discussions with Iranian officials in Oman to explore ways to prevent a broader regional conflict.
