Rescuers are trying to get to the site of a helicopter involved in an “incident” which travelling with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian state TV says has reported.

Tasnim News said on Telegram: “An accident happened to the helicopter carrying the president in East Azerbaijan. Some news reports indicate that the helicopter carrying Ayatollah Raisi, the president, has had an accident in East Azerbaijan.

“However, some of the president’s companions in this helicopter have managed to contact the center, and thus the hope for the end of this incident without loss of life has increased.

“Three helicopters were present in this convoy, two helicopters carrying some ministers and officials reached their destination safely.”

State television suggested the helicopter had been involved in a “hard landing” without elaborating.

A hard landing in aviation is usually an incident in which an aircraft is makes contact with the runway surface with excessive force or velocity.

Iran uses a variety of helicopters in the country, but international sanctions make it hard to obtain parts for them. The Islamic Republic’s military air fleet also largely dates back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Raisi, 63, is a hard-liner who previously led the country’s judiciary. He is seen as a protege of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and some analysts have suggested he could eventually replace the 85-year-old religious leader.

Raisi was apparently travelling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province.

Pictures taken today showed Ebrahim Raisi pictured with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, with the pair having inaugurated the Qiz Qalasi Dam, constructed on the Aras River which runs along the border between the two countries.

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