Iranian president involved in a helicopter crash in east Azerbaijan

Shafaq News/ Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi has been involved in a helicopter accident while traveling in East Azerbaijan province on Sunday, state media reported.

State TV and the IRNA news outlet said Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, East Azberbaijan Governor Malik Rahmati, and Mohammed Ali Ale-Hashem, the imam of Tabriz, were aboard the helicopter which suffered a "hard landing."

Two other helicopters travelling in the convoy landed safely, municipal official Ali Zakari told the media.

Harsh fog and difficult weather conditions are hampering rescue operations in the area, they added, without providing further details.

Other media outlets gave conflicting versions of the incident, with Mehr claiming the president has landed safely in Tabriz.

The accident was reported near the city of Jolfa, on the country's border with Azerbaijan.

Raisi, 63 had been in Azerbaijan early Sunday to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev.

The hard-liner, who took office in 2021, has been touted as the potential successor for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

He previously served in the judiciary, including as Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutor for Tehran.