Iran's President Raisi killed in helicopter crash: Iranian state media

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi is dead following a helicopter crash, according to an announcement on Iranian state media Monday morning local time.

According to ABC News, the Iranian minister of foreign affairs (Hossein Amir-Abdollahian) and the others onboard were also killed in the crash.

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.

Earlier, Hossein Kolivand, the head of Iran's Red Crescent, told state media there was "no sign of life."

The Red Crescent confirmed earlier Monday it had located the missing helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi that had made a "hard landing" Sunday in foggy conditions.

"The president's helicopter has been found," the head of Iran’s Red Crescent said to state TV.

"We can see the helicopter and we are moving towards the place. We have no details. Let us get on top of the helicopter to announce the details. We are about two kilometers away from the helicopter."

"Things are not good here,” he said after being asked if they could see signs of a crash or burn.

Search and rescue operations were launched shortly after the incident occurred.

Two hot spots were identified in the village of Tawal by a Turkish drone sent to help with rescue efforts, as reported by IRNA, Iran’s state news agency, early Monday local time.

Earlier, IRNA reported that Red Crescent rescue teams had begun moving towards the possible landing place of the helicopter.

IRNA reported Sunday, “Currently, there are 73 rescue teams in the search area for the helicopter in the Tawal village, of which 23 Red Crescent teams (detector dogs) have been sent from Tehran and neighboring provinces to the accident area along with advanced and specialized equipment.”

Drone footage has been shared on Iranian state news agency IRNA's social media channels which the agency says shows the wreckage of President Raisi's helicopter.

The footage, shot by the Red Crescent, appears to show the tail of a helicopter next to a large patch of scorched earth on a hillside littered with debris.