Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia expressed grave concern over the media reports regarding the accident happened to a helicopter carrying Iran’s President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi and an accompanying delegation, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The Kingdom announced its readiness to provide any assistance that the Iranian agencies needed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

“The government of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern what was circulated in the media regarding the helicopter carrying Iran’s President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi and an accompanying delegation. At a time when we supplicate God Almighty to safeguard the president and those accompanying him with His protection and care, we reaffirm that Saudi Arabia stands by the sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran in these difficult circumstances,” the ministry said.

A helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has been involved in an accident, the Iranian state media reported earlier. Reports say the helicopter - one of three travelling in a convoy - made a “hard landing” after it got into difficulties in heavy fog in the north of the country.

Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said rescuers were still trying to reach the site due to the difficult weather conditions. Raisi was heading to the city of Tabriz, in the north west of Iran, after returning from an Iran-Azerbaijan border area, according to local media.