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However, Iranian state television blamed the crash on adverse weather conditions.
Raisi was traveling in a convoy of three helicopters in Iran's East Azerbaijan province, state television reported. The incident is said to have happened near Jolfa, a border town with Azerbaijan, about 600 kilometers northwest of the Iranian capital, Tehran.
State television later put it further east, near the village of Uzi, but details remained mixed.
Traveling with Raisi were the foreign minister and the governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan province, as well as officials and bodyguards, state news agency IRNA reported.
Iran's army chief of staff, General Mohammad Bagheri, ordered all military resources to be directed to the search and rescue operation, state television reported.
In this photo provided by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi takes off near the border with Azerbaijan. The helicopter was later reported to have crashed.Credit: IRNA via AP
After hardliners urged the public to pray for Raisi, state television broadcast images of worshipers praying at the Imam Reza shrine in the city of Mashhad, one of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam, as well as in Qom and other places in the country.
“The esteemed president and company were returning in helicopters and one of the helicopters was forced to make a hard landing due to bad weather and fog,” said Vahidi, the interior minister. in the comments broadcast on state television.
“Several rescue teams are on their way to the region, but due to bad weather and fog, it may take time for the helicopter to arrive.
“The region is a bit [rugged] and it's hard to get in touch. We are waiting for the rescue teams to reach the landing site and give us more information.”
Iranians pray for President Ebrahim Raisi at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad city on Sunday.Credit: Mohammad Hasan Salavati/Shahraranews via AP
Bad weather also hampered rescue teams, IRNA reported. A rescue helicopter had tried to reach the area but was unable to land due to heavy fog, emergency services spokesman Babak Yektaparast said.
Raisi had been at the border with Azerbaijan on Sunday to inaugurate a dam with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
The dam is the third that the two nations have built on the Aras River. The visit came despite chilly relations between the countries, including over an armed attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran in 2023, and Azerbaijan's diplomatic relations with Israel, which Iran's Shiite theocracy considers their main enemy in the region.
Azerbaijan's government issued a statement saying Aliyev was deeply concerned by news of the crash, which came after the two leaders had said a “friendly farewell” after their meeting.
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Aliyev said Azerbaijan was ready to send any necessary aid to help with the search. Iran's neighbor and longtime foe Iraq also released a statement offering search and rescue support.
Iran flies several helicopters, but international sanctions make it difficult to obtain parts for them. Its military air fleet also largely dates back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Raisi, 63, is a hardliner who once headed the country's judiciary. He is seen as a protégé of Khamenei and some analysts have suggested he could replace the 85-year-old leader after his death or resignation.
Raisi won Iran's 2021 presidential election, a vote that recorded the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic's history. He was sanctioned by the US for his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 at the end of a bloody Iran-Iraq war.
Under Raisi, Iran is now enriching uranium to near-weapons levels and making international inspections more difficult. Iran has armed Russia in its war against Ukraine. It has also armed proxy groups in the Middle East, including Yemen's Houthi rebels and Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, mass protests in the country have been occurring for years. The most recent involved the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who had previously been arrested for allegedly not wearing a hijab or headscarf, at the pleasure of the authorities. The months-long security crackdown that followed the demonstrations killed more than 500 people and saw more than 22,000 arrested.
In March, a United Nations investigative panel found that Iran was responsible for the “physical violence” that led to Amini's death.
AP, Reuters
