Iraqi President offers aid in search operations for Iranian President’s helicopter
Rescue teams gather at the search site. Photo: Azin Haghighi/Moj News Agency via AP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, confirmed on Sunday that Iraq is ready to provide assistance in the search operations for the Iranian President’s crashed helicopter.
In a statement on X, previously Twitter, Rashid expressed his deep sorrow over the news of the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, and his accompanying officials’ helicopter tragedy.
The Iraqi President mentioned that he made a phone call with the Iranian Ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad Al-Sadiq, who is currently in Tehran, to learn about the developments of the incident.
Iranian officials said that the helicopter carrying Raisi and the Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, crashed when it was crossing mountainous territory in dense fog while returning from a trip to Iran’s northwest border with Azerbaijan.
Iranian sources said that the lives of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian are in danger as rescuers are having difficulty getting to the scene of the incident.
There is optimism for the outcome of the search and rescue operations, as officials claim to have been in communication with a few of those inside the helicopter that crashed.
According to Iranian authorities, two other helicopters in Raisi’s convoy made it safely to their destinations.
The Iranian Vice President for Executive Affairs, Mohsen Mansouri, told FARS news that after speaking with two passengers aboard the crashed helicopter, Iranian officials have determined a two-kilometer radius for the crash site and believe that the accident was not catastrophic.