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News20 May 2024 - 07:51

Iran's president and foreign minister killed in helicopter crash

Several others are confirmed to have been killed in Sunday's helicopter crash.

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by The Star
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Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi

President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several others are confirmed to have been killed in Sunday's helicopter crash in north-western Iran, state TV says.

The IRNA state news agency says that also on board were Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem, the imam for Friday prayers in the city of Tabriz, and General Malek Rahmati, the governor of the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan.

The commander of the president's protection unit, Sardar Seyed Mehdi Mousavi, was also killed, as were a number of bodyguards and helicopter crew who have not yet been named.

The helicopter carrying President Raisi made a "hard landing" after it got into difficulties, state media reported.

The details of what happened remain unclear.

According to local media, Raisi was heading to the city of Tabriz, in the north west of Iran, after returning from the border with Azerbaijan, where he opened the Qiz Qalasi and Khodaafarin dams

The helicopter was one of three travelling in a convoy

 

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