News / Russia

Russia to scramble aircraft to Iran to assist search for presidential chopper

Sunday, 19 May 2024 10:40 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 20 May 2024 1:48 AM ]

Russian President Vladimir Putin's Special Aide Igor Levitin (R) and Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber

Russia has said it would soon scramble two advanced aircraft to Iran to assist with underway search and rescue operations aimed at finding a helicopter that was involved in an accident while carrying the Iranian president.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's Special Aide Igor Levitin made the remarks in early Monday, speaking to Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber on the phone concerning the incident.

He said Moscow was to scramble two advanced aircraft alongside special helicopters and a 50-strong relief and rescue team to East Azerbaijan’s capital Tabriz to assist the Iranian rescuers.

Two more aircraft would also be flown to the Islamic Republic later in the day from Armenia, the Russian official noted.

Levitin also said the Russian head of state had ordered convention of an extraordinary meeting with senior Russian officials and Iran’s Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali to address the development.

The helicopter that was transporting the Iranian chief executive Ebrahim Raeisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian alongside others encountered some difficulties and was forced to make a "hard landing" in the northwestern Iranian province of East Azerbaijan’s city of Jolfa on Sunday.