Iran President's helicopter goes missing: Answers to Important Questions

A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials, apparently had a "hard landing" in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday.

Iranian media reports indicate the helicopter had to make a quick landing due to heavy rain and fog.

Meanwhile, 40 teams were dispatched by Iran's Red Crescent for rescue efforts, but at the time its unclear if they made it to the crash landing site.

The likely crash, as reported by foreign media outlets, came as Raisi and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel last month.

At a time with growing fears and mass hysteria, Khamenei has urged the public to pray and refrain from worrying.

"We hope that God the Almighty returns the dear president and his colleagues in full health to the arms of the nation," Khamenei said.

Khamenei also assured the public the state affairs will proceed in order without hindrances.

Place of Incident

The mountainous area where Raisi's helicopter made a crash landing, is situated between Copper Mine Songon and Dizmar-e Sharqi in East Azerbaijan.

The area is known for thick forests and trees.

Rampant Weather Changes

The area is also known for abrupt weather changes, with regular fogs and temperature fluctuations. According to Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, the area experiences sudden weather changes and more recently weather conditions in the area worsened with thick fog making it difficult to search for the missing helicopter.

Who Accompanied the Iranian President on His Trip?

Besides Raisi, his bodyguards, Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malik Ramati and the Imam of Jummah Mosque in Tabriz Ayatollah Aal Hasim along with intermediary-level officials were in the helicopter.

The Make and Brand of the Missing Helicopter

According to reports, President Raisi was traveling onboard an "M One 171" Russian military make with the capacity of traveling 600 kilometers.

Revelation of the Incident

The President's helicopter sent out a mayday call signaling immediate landing. According Vahidi, the incident became clear after one of the individuals on board the vessel contacted to inform of their situation immediately after landing.

The call had visible range issues, but the caller had informed Raisi's helicopter landed suddenly due to bad weather. The call also indicated that there was no explosion from the landing, giving hope to the possibility Raisi is safe.