Rescuers are unable to fly over the mountainous area of dense woods and steep valleys because of thick fog, so search parties are going out by foot, helped by dogs, drones and European Union satellites.
State media earlier reported Raisi’s helicopter needed to make a “hard landing” and was involved in an “accident” close to the city of Jolfa, on Iran’s northwestern border with Azerbaijan.
A hardline cleric and former head of the judiciary — a key center of conservative power — Raisi had been regularly mentioned as a potential successor to the 85-year-old Khamenei. If Raisi were to die, Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, would likely be increasingly mentioned as frontrunner for the country’s top job.
Raisi, 63, was returning from a visit to the Azerbaijan border, where he met with President Ilham Aliyev. The pair cut the ribbon on a major dam along their shared border.
On Sunday evening, Aliyev issued a statement saying he was “deeply troubled” by the news. “As a neighbor, friend, and brotherly country, the Republic of Azerbaijan stands ready to offer any assistance needed.”
Speaking to the official IRNA news agency, emergency services ministry spokesman Babak Yektaparast said rescuers had been unable to reach the crash site by helicopter because of the weather. A convoy of eight ambulances has been dispatched, accompanied by doctors and paramedics, he added.
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