Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, were reported deceased on Monday following a helicopter crash, as stated by Iranian state media.
No survivors were found at the crash site as of 8 a.m. local time, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Earlier reports from IRNA indicated that the president of the Iranian Red Crescent Society confirmed the identification of Raisi's crashed helicopter. The aircraft, transporting Raisi, Amir Abdollahian, and other senior officials, crashed in a mountainous area of northwestern Iran while returning from an event near the Iranian-Azerbaijani border.
On Sunday, Iran's Interior Minister, Ahmad Vahidi, confirmed the "hard landing" of the president's helicopter and said the search-and-rescue operation is underway, according to IRNA.
"Various rescue groups are moving towards the site, but due to the fog and bad weather, it may take time to reach the area. The work is under control," Vahidi said.
"There have been contacts with [the president's] companions, but given that the area is mountainous and it is difficult to establish contacts, we hope that the rescue teams will reach the site of the incident sooner and give us more information," he added.
IRNA reported that two passengers on the flight had communicated with rescue workers.