The helicopter, also carrying Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials, had gone missing on May 19 over East Azerbaijan province, prompting a massive rescue operation in the fog-shrouded forest. An Iranian official stated that hopes sparked throughout the night until they received the Turkish coordinates.
President Raisi was travelling near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, approximately 600 km northwest of Tehran. Initial conflicting reports placed the crash site near the village of Uzi. Turkish authorities released drone footage showing a fire, suspected to be the wreckage, 20 km south of the Azerbaijan-Iran border on a steep mountain. Tragically, all nine people on board, including Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, were confirmed dead.
