Latest update, just posted within the hour...  Meanwhile, in the area where the Iranian President's helicopter crashed, it begins to get dark.

Rescuers will reach the possible location of Raisi's helicopter within half an hour, Tasnim reports.

❗️🇮🇷 Iranian media are publishing footage of search and rescue operations to locate the helicopter carrying President of the Islamic Republic Ebrahim Raisi.

The video provides a rough understanding of the difficulties faced by the rescuers - visibility in the area is minimal, which further complicates the operation in the mountainous terrain.

At the same time, there are no official reports yet on the rescue and condition of the crew and passengers of the aircraft that disappeared from radar: according to the latest statement by the Iranian Minister of the Interior, the helicopter has not yet been found.

adding....  According to the photo (thumbnail), it appears to be the helicopter that the President of Iran was traveling on to Tabriz.

Search and rescue efforts in the crash site area continue to be hampered by heavy fog, so the search is being conducted solely by ground teams.

The Iranian opposition has begun openly referring to Ibrahim Raisi as a martyr, although there is still no information about his fate.

If Ibrahim Raisi cannot be rescued, the masses will quickly put two and two together and blame Israel and the US for what happened.

In fact, dragging Iran into a direct conflict after such a provocation is precisely what the Israeli ultra-Orthodox leadership needs today.

adding last update so far:   Helicopter Crash with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi

What is known as of 6:00 PM on May 19, 2024

The incident occurred during the return of the delegation of Ibrahim Raisi from the ceremony of launching the hydroelectric dam on the Araz River on the border with Azerbaijan. There were a total of three helicopters in the group: two successfully reached the landing site, but the one carrying the President of the Islamic Republic disappeared from radar.

▪️The approximate location of the hard landing of the aircraft is in the area of the village of Uzi in the province of East Azerbaijan. The settlement is located in a high-altitude, hard-to-reach area, which, together with the difficult weather conditions, further complicates the search.

▪️Contrary to the messages circulating on the Internet, the aircraft has not yet been found, and the rescue operation is ongoing. There is no information on the condition of Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian, as well as the crew and other passengers at the moment.

▪️The official version of the accident is also still absent. The real cause of the incident could well be a piloting error, but if the rescue of the President of Iran fails, the masses will immediately blame Israel for what happened.

▪️Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei held an emergency meeting of the Security Council of the Islamic Republic in connection with the current events, although no loud measures at the highest state level have been taken so far.

#Iran

@rybar