Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian have been declared dead following a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border.
They were traveling in a three-helicopter convoy when their aircraft encountered difficulties due to fog.Russia promptly dispatched two advanced aircraft, helicopters, and 50 personnel to join the rescue operations.
However, hopes of finding them alive were slim given the challenging terrain and the time that had passed.
Some media outlets have reported that they have been 'martyred.' The 63-year-old President was considered the natural successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Raisi was a hardline conservative politician with deep ties to the judiciary and religious elite.
