Helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi crashes

President's condition remains unclear after a helicopter he was in a crash landing

Nine people were on the helicopter that crashed in northwest Iran on Sunday including three officials an imam and flight and security team.

On 19 May 2024 a Bell 212 helicopter crashed near Varzaqan Iran while en route to Tabriz from Khudafarin. The helicopter was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff. The cause of the crash is not yet known.

Iranian state television reported that Raisi and his team were safe after the crash. However, the Iranian president's condition remains unclear.

The crash comes at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States. The United States has recently imposed new sanctions on Iran in an attempt to pressure the country to abandon its nuclear program.