State media reports that a helicopter carrying the Iranian president crashed

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian are missing after their helicopter suffered a “hard landing” on Sunday.

The condition of those on board or the boat is unknown and the circumstances of the incident are unclear. Later reports suggested that rescuers may have found the helicopter, Reuters reported, citing state television.

Earlier on Sunday, Tasnim News Agency, a news channel affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, reported that some of the president’s “comrades” were able to communicate with authorities, raising hope among survivors.

State media released video footage of search and rescue teams struggling to find the helicopter that disappeared in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, but thick fog hampered search and rescue efforts.

“The region is a bit (rough) and it is difficult to make contact. “We are waiting for rescue teams to reach the landing site and give us more information,” Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said.

Several other people were also reportedly on board the helicopter, including an imam and the governor of East Azerbaijan province, according to state media.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khameni urged the country to pray for the president’s health, the Associated Press reported.