Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi, several others die in helicopter crash

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian have died after their helicopter crashed in a mountainous and forested area of the country.

Nine people, including a provincial governor, were on board when the aircraft went down in northern Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. All are believed to be dead, according to Al Jazeera.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, announced that his country would observe a day of mourning and the flag would fly at half-mast in respect for Raisi and his companions. In a post on X, Sharif referred to Raisi and Amirabdollahian as “good friends of Pakistan” and expressed his “deepest condolences and sympathies to the Iranian nation on this terrible loss.”

The helicopter crashed on Saturday, and the search efforts were hindered by severe fog and rain near the crash site in the Dizmar forest, between the cities of Varzaqan and Jolfa in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.

Paul Beaver, an aviation expert and former helicopter pilot, noted that the cloud cover, fog, mist, and low temperatures likely contributed to the crash.