BREAKING: Helicopter carrying Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi crashes

A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday afternoon crashed in northwestern Iran.

It is unclear if Raisi and others on board with him survived the crash.

The incident happened while the president was visiting neighbouring Azerbaijan.

Iran’s Interior Minister said rescue teams are on the way to the site of the incident.

The Iranian official news agency IRNA said the helicopter involved in the incident had Raisi as well as Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and local officials.

The semi-official Fars news agency called on Iranians to pray for Raisi following the reports.

Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi told state TV that authorities were awaiting further details.

The 63-year-old Raisi was elected president at the second attempt in 2021, and since taking office has ordered a tightening of morality laws, overseen a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests and pushed hard in nuclear talks with world powers.