Lives of Iran president and foreign minister ‘at risk’ as search on for crashed helicopter

World

A helicopter carrying Iran’s president has been involved in a “hard landing”, Iranian state TV has said.

President Ebrahim Raisi was travelling in the aircraft in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province at the time.

Rescue teams are reportedly heading to the scene.

State TV said the incident happened near the city of Jolfa, about 375 miles (600km) northwest of the capital Tehran.

Mr Raisi had been in Azerbaijan for the inauguration of a dam with the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev.

The 63-year-old is a hard-liner and former head of the judiciary who some have suggested could one day replace Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

He has been president since August 2021, with his time in charge including major protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.

More on Iran

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Articles You May Like

Wedding guests killed after bus crashes into river in Pakistan
YouTuber Jake Paul beats Mike Tyson as boos heard during controversial fight
Over $2.8 billion bet on bitcoin topping $90,000 as it hits all-time high
Apple won’t launch a smart ring, says Oura CEO: ‘It’s hard to do’
Microplastics Could Be Changing Earth’s Climate, Reveals New Study