World reacts to the crash of helicopter carrying Iran’s president, foreign minister
(VOVWORLD) -The international community has reacted to the news that a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister crashed as it flew over mountainous terrain in heavy fog on the way back from a visit to the border with Azerbaijan on Sunday.
 Footage broadcast by Iranian state television station IRINN on May 19, 2024: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on a helicopter that allegedly crashed in East Azerbaijan province, northwest of Iran. Photo: AFP/VNA
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The Foreign Ministries of Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Azerbaijan said they are prepared to offer all possible support in the search and rescue operations.
Russia affirmed its readiness to help investigate the cause of the accident.
European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said the commission had activated satellite services to support the search at Iran's request.
A US State Department spokesperson said in a statement, "We are closely following reports of a possible hard landing of a helicopter in Iran carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister."