CHILLING footage shows Iran’s president in a helicopter moments before crashing.
Ebrahim Raisi is seen in the video from inside a chopper prior to his disappearance on Sunday – with rain and fog hampering the search effort.
The controversial leader, 63, had been at the Azerbaijani border to inaugurate the Qiz-Qalasi Dam before the crash.
The governor of East Azerbaijan province and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian were among the passengers travelling alongside Raisi.
Their chopper was one of three in a convoy – with the other two helicopters landing safely at their destination.
Iranian state TV stopped all regular programming to air prayers and also showed what is understood to be the last footage of Raisi before the crash.
In the clip, the leader is seen looking out of the window, with an unidentified member of his delegation sat opposite him.
The helicopter is reported to have vanished from the radar amid thick fog.
The incident is believed to have happened near Jolfa – a city on the border with Azerbaijan, some 375 miles northwest of Tehran.
An Iranian official said the lives of Raisi and his foreign minister are “at risk”.
“We are still hopeful but information coming from the crash site is very concerning,” the official said.
Reuters news agency quoted state media as saying Raisi’s chopper was discovered by search and rescue teams.
It did not detail where it was found, or if any survivors have been located.
But moments later, Iran’s Red Crescent denied the report.
It comes after an Iranian official confirmed contact had been made with one of the passengers and one of the crew members of the President’s helicopter on several occasions amid the search.
Iranian state media said bad weather was the cause of the crash and had complicated rescue efforts, with a rescue helicopter unable to land.
Search efforts have reportedly been concentrated around a copper mine where visibility is currently less than five metres.
At least 40 rescue teams have been deployed to the crash site.
The chief of staff of Iran’s army ordered all the resources of the army and the elite Revolutionary Guard to be put to use in search and rescue operations.
“It is dark and it has started raining, but the search continues,” a local reporter told state TV.
“Rescue teams have reached the area … however, the rain has created mud, making the search difficult.”
Iran‘s interior minister, Ahmed Vahidi, said Raisi was on his way back from the inauguration event “when the helicopter carrying him had a hard landing due to the foggy weather in the area”.
The crash comes at a time of growing dissent within Iran over an array of political, social and economic crises.
Below is a brief outline of what Iran’s constitution says happens if a president is incapacitated or dies in office:
* According to article 131 of the Islamic Republic’s constitution, if a president dies in office the first vice president takes over, with the confirmation of the supreme leader, who has the final say in all matters of state.
* A council consisting of the first vice president, the speaker of parliament and the head of the judiciary must arrange a election for a new president within a maximum period of 50 days.
Ebrahim Raisi was elected president in 2021 and, under the current timetable, presidential elections are due to take place in 2025.
Footage even shows people setting off fireworks, reportedly in response to news of the crash.
Though other photos of people in Tehran having gathered in Valiasr Square to pray for their president.
Reports claim riot police are gathering on the streets in the capital and the city of Rasht, with the suggestion they will be used to quell celebrations if Raisi’s death is announced in the morning.
Raisi secured a victory during the 2021 presidential election, which saw the lowest turnout in the country’s history.
Since taking office he has ordered a tightening of morality laws, overseen a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests and pushed hard in nuclear talks with world powers.
It comes weeks after Iran unleashed an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Jerusalem which was branded “a declaration of war” by Israel.
More than 300 drones and missiles were launched at Israel by Iran and its proxy groups in Lebanon and Yemen – 99 per cent of which were intercepted, according to the Israeli military.
Despite the tensions, footage reportedly shows members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Saberin Special Forces preparing to enter a forested area as part of the search.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is understood to be among world leaders to offer support.
He is reported to have ordered the deployment of two aircraft and 50 rescue personnel to Tabriz as part of the search effort.
Former UK defence minister Tobias Ellwood told Sky News: “It doesn’t bode well when it takes so long to get in touch with what’s happened.”
He added that a lack of information from Iranian state media is concerning.
The Tory MP said: “If the president was alive, it would confirm it straight away, but if he has died then they may be delaying any announcement to ensure contingency plans are in place.”
He added the potential death of Riasi could mean there are “huge geopolitical consequences for Iran”.
