A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made what state-run media called a “hard landing” in “adverse weather conditions” in the country’s East Azerbaijan province on Sunday. His condition, and that of other Iranian officials on board, is not yet known.
Raisi, 63, is widely seen as a protégé and trusted confidant of Iran’s supreme leader, 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Raisi was elected president in 2021 after a decorated career as an ultraconservative in Iran’s judiciary. He is seen as a potential successor to Khamenei.