Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi feared dead as helicopter wreckage found

Hopes are fading for the survival of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister following a helicopter crash in mountainous and icy conditions, an Iranian official stated on Monday after search teams found the wreckage.

“President Raisi’s helicopter was completely burned in the crash … unfortunately, all passengers are feared dead,” the official told Reuters.

Rescue teams battled blizzards and challenging terrain overnight to reach the crash site in East Azerbaijan province early Monday morning.

“We can see the wreckage and the situation does not look good,” Pirhossein Kolivand, the head of Iran’s Red Crescent, told state TV.

“With the discovery of the crash site, no signs of life have been detected among the helicopter’s passengers.”

Iranian state media reported that images from the crash site showed the helicopter had collided with a mountain peak, though the cause of the crash has not yet been officially determined.