A helicopter carrying the Iranian president made a rough landing, Iranian media reported.

A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister made a rough landing on Sunday while passing through a mountainous region in heavy fog on their way back from a visit to Azerbaijan, Iranian news agencies said.

According to state news agency IRNA, rescue efforts have been complicated by bad weather. The semi-state news agency Fars called on Iranians to pray for Raisi, and state television broadcast prayers for his safety.

IRNA said the helicopter was carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and local officials.

Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi told state television only that one of the three helicopter groups had crashed violently and that authorities were awaiting further details.

Raisi, 63, won his second presidential election in 2021 and since taking office has ordered tougher moral laws, oversaw a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests and pushed hard for nuclear negotiations with world powers. .

Iran’s dual political system is divided between the clergy and the government, with the supreme leader, not the president, having the final say on all major policies.

But many see Raisi as a strong candidate to succeed his mentor, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who has been a strong supporter of Raisi’s main policies.