Iran helicopter crash LIVE Updates: President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister

On May 20, rescuers discovered a helicopter that was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister, and other officials. The helicopter had apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest region of Iran the day before. Unfortunately, state media reported that there was “no sign of life” detected.

As the sun rose on Monday, rescuers spotted the helicopter from a distance of approximately 2 kilometers (1.25 miles), according to Pir Hossein Kolivand, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society. However, he did not provide any further details, and at that point, the officials had already been missing for over 12 hours.

This incident is occurring at a sensitive time for Iran. Under President Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran recently carried out an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel. Additionally, the country has been enriching uranium to levels closer than ever to weapons-grade.

Iran has also faced significant protests over its Shia theocracy, particularly regarding its struggling economy and women’s rights. Given these circumstances, the situation holds great importance for Tehran and the future of the country, especially as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues to escalate tensions across the wider Middle East.