The harsh weather conditions in the Dezmar Forest between Varazgan and Julfa, located 600 kilometers northwest of Tehran on the border with Azerbaijan, made it difficult for rescuers to reach the site of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian. This accident occurred while Raisi was traveling to East Azerbaijan Province with Abdollahian and the Friday Imam of Tabriz in a presidential convoy of three helicopters.
Two of the helicopters safely returned to Tabriz with ministers and officials on board, but specialized teams were still working to find the third helicopter carrying the Iranian president. The Minister of Interior confirmed that rescue operations were ongoing despite the difficult weather conditions, but did not confirm or deny Raisi’s presence on the helicopter.
President Raisi had been scheduled to open a dam in Azerbaijan with President Ilham Aliyev when the accident occurred. These two countries had previously worked together on building three dams on the Aras River and had other joint development projects in progress. However, as rescue teams continued their efforts to locate the missing helicopter, uncertainty remained about what would happen next.
