Iran's Supreme Leader Reacts to President's Helicopter Crash

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called upon the country to pray on Sunday after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was aboard a helicopter that crashed.

A helicopter carrying Raisi, Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the Friday prayers leader of Tabriz and representative of the Supreme Leader in the province, went down in the mountainous northwestern Iranian province of East Azerbaijan. Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), which is funded and controlled by the Iranian government, reported that the province's governor Malek Rahmati was also on the helicopter.

The exact location is unconfirmed, with original reports placing the helicopter crash near the town of Jolfa, about 375 miles northwest of Tehran, the Iranian capital. Raisi's helicopter was traveling in a convoy with two other helicopters, both of which reportedly landed safely.

In a post on his English X, formerly Twitter, account Khamenei wrote, "We hope Almighty God will return the respected, esteemed President and his entourage to the arms of the nation." Shortly after he posted to X again, calling people to pray, writing, "Eve[r]yone should pray for the health of these people who are serving the Iranian nation. The nation doesn't need to be worried or anxious as the administration of the country will not be disrupted at all."

State-run media, including IRNA and Fars News Agency, urged the public to pray for Raisi and aired videos of large numbers of Iranians praying at holy sites throughout the country.

Khamenei posted more on his Farsi account, expressing a similar sentiment that people should not worry and the country will continue to operate. He's the second supreme leader of Iran, having been in the position since 1989.

Iranian state media has reported dozens of active rescue teams near the site. The IRNA posted on its website that "more than twenty fully equipped search and rescue teams, including drones and sniffer dogs, have been dispatched to the area." Other reports indicate upwards of 60 rescue teams. There have been no confirmed location of the helicopter or officials, including Raisi. Bad weather conditions in the area, including immense fog, and nightfall have made the rescue mission incredibly difficult.

Newsweek reached out to the Iranian Red Crescent Society and Iranian Foreign Ministry via email on Sunday.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson previously told Newsweek on Sunday afternoon: "We are closely following reports of a possible hard landing of a helicopter in Iran carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister."

The European Union (EU) has offered emergency satellite mapping technology to aid Iran with its search.

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, AFAD, posted on X that it is sending 32 mountain rescue specialists to Iran in support of the search. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extended his wishes of support and said his country is ready to assist Iran in a post on X.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also offered their assistance in the rescue mission.

Raisi was in Azerbaijan earlier today, with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to inaugurate a dam, the Associated Press reported. This is the third dam that Iran and Azerbaijan have built on the Aras River.

Aliyev took to X to share his prayers and offer assistance following the crash.

"Today, after bidding a friendly farewell to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, we were profoundly troubled by the news of a helicopter carrying the top delegation crash-landing in Iran," he wrote in the post. "Our prayers to Allah Almighty are with President Ebrahim Raisi and the accompanying delegation. As a neighbor, friend, and brotherly country, the Republic of Azerbaijan stands ready to offer any assistance needed."