Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei urges prayers as helicopter carrying President Raisi crashes

Tehran [Iran], May 20 : Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, on Sunday urged the people to pray for the return of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and others on board the helicopter, which made a "hard landing" and has not yet been located.

He also asserted that Iran doesn't need to be worried and said that the country's administration will not be disrupted at all.

In a post on X, the Leader said, "We hope Almighty God will return the respected, esteemed President and his entourage to the arms of the nation."

"Everyone 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," he added.

President Ebrahim Raisi was travelling back to Iran following a visit to Azerbaijan when his helicopter came down in bad weather conditions on Sunday afternoon.

On board the chopper were Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Hojjatoleslam Al Hashem, the head of the Friday prayer in Tabriz, Malek Rahmati, the governor of the province of East Azarbaijan, and several others.

Following the incident, Iranian Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri said that Iranian officials have spoken to two people on the same helicopter as President Ebrahim Raisi since it crashed on Sunday, CNN reported, citing Iran's semi-official FARS news agency.

Because officials made contact "several times" with a passenger and a member of the flight crew shortly after the crash, "it appears that the incident was not severe," Mansouri said. Three helicopters were flying on the same route before two lost contact with Raisi's helicopter, Mansouri added.

"The Ministry of Communications and other security agencies have identified the incident area within a 2-kilometer radius. Due to weather conditions, access to the area is challenging," he said, CNN reported.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the incident, and said that India stands in solidarity with the people of Iran in this hour of distress. PM Modi said that he is praying for the well-being of Iranian President Raisi and the leaders accompanying him on board the chopper.

"Deeply concerned by reports regarding President Raisi's helicopter flight today. We stand in solidarity with the Iranian people in this hour of distress, and pray for well being of the President and his entourage," PM Modi said in a post on X.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry also expressed his concern over the accident and said that they are praying for the safety and well-being of President Raisi.

"Deeply concerned about reports of President Raisi's helicopter flight incident today. Our thoughts are with the Iranian people during this distressing time. We pray for the safety and well-being of President Raisi, his entourage, and the Foreign Minister," Sabry said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that they are "distressed" by the news and praying for Raisi and other leaders who were on board the chopper.

Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan stands ready to offer any assistance to Iran.

President Raisi was returning from a ceremony to inaugurate a dam on the Aras River with Azerbaijan's President, Ilham Aliyev, when the incident took place.

The local Iranian media reported that it was heavily raining in the Varzaghan District, and it was hard for the rescue and search teams to walk in the dense fog. There was still no information on any injuries or damage from the 'chopper crash' that involved Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and high officials in northwest Iran.

Rescue teams have reached the city of Jolfa in the northwestern Iranian province of East Azarbaijan and were trying to locate Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter, which made a hard landing. The region is impassable, and the fog has made search operations challenging.

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