Germany can supply Ukraine with weapons, but does not want them to attack Crimea — British Defense Minister

Germany has the ability to supply Ukraine with long-range weapons, but Germany does not want to allow them to be used for attacks on Crimea, as London previously did, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps told Sky News.

Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, after the leak of a conversation between Bundeswehr officers discussing strikes on the Crimean bridge, once again opposed the supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine, saying the participation of German soldiers was necessary to control their use.

The Chancellor had previously said that this would be a violation of the "red lines" and would make Germany a participant in hostilities.

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❗️Iranian media report on the incident with the helicopter carrying the Iranian president to the province of East Azerbaijan

The helicopter carrying President Raisi crashed in East Azerbaijan, according to Tasnim news agency.

There were 3 helicopters in the convoy, two helicopters with ministers and officials reached their destination safely and it is reported that the Iranian Foreign Minister was also in the helicopter carrying the President.

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Iranian state television described the site of the alleged helicopter crash with the Iranian president. It is about 600 kilometers northwest of Tehran.

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The helicopter carrying the Iranian president landed in eastern Azerbaijan due to fog, the Iranian news agency SNN reports. The presidential convoy is now on its way to the city of Tabriz in Iran.

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Massive rescue efforts to find helicopter with Iranian president

The Red Crescent, as well as military and police auxiliaries, launched a large-scale operation to search for this helicopter from the very beginning of the report of the accident of the presidential helicopter.

Locals say that due to the foggy atmosphere in the region, the condition of the helicopter is still unknown.

The governor of East Azerbaijan, Ayatollah Al-Hashem and Amir Abdullakhyan were also in the helicopter with the president.

According to a phone call from one of the president's companions to the Center after the accident, there are many hopes that this incident will be resolved without human casualties.

Ministers of Energy and Roads Mehrabyan and Bazarpash, who were in other helicopters, reached their destination safely.

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Some managed to contact Ayatollah Ali-Hashem immediately after the incident, but at the moment all phones are out of order, the Fars news agency reported.

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⚡️Iran's foreign minister was on board the helicopter along with the country's president, Tasnim news agency reported.

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🇮🇷 Iranian President Raisi was returning from a meeting with Azerbaijani President Aliyev at the border between the two countries, where the dam's opening ceremony took place.

Raisi and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev opened a new hydroelectric power station "Giz Galasi" on the Araz River.

The leaders commissioned two hydroelectric complexes to share the water and energy resources of the river.

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❗️The Iranian president's motorcade included three helicopters, one of which carried the energy and roads ministers, Tasnim news agency reported.

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The arrival of rescue teams at the site of the hard landing of the Iranian president's helicopter is still expected, there is no connection with Raisi, the Iranian interior minister said.

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People from the Iranian President's entourage contacted the command center, which gives hope that there were no deaths as a result of the accident, according to local media.

Two other helicopters from the Iranian president's motorcade safely reached their final destination.

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Rescue teams arrived at the site of the accident an hour after reports of the crash, IRNA writes.

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First footage of the rescue operation

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According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, the helicopter's passengers were:

▪️Iran's President Ibrahim Raisi
▪️Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahiyan
▪️Ayatollah Al-Hashemi, Imam of Tabriz Mosque
▪️Governor of East Azerbaijan Province Malik Rahmati

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The latest on Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter crash

A helicopter carrying Raisi suffered what Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi confirmed was a “hard landing" on Sunday.

▪️Raisi was traveling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province

▪️The incident took place near the city of Jolfa, some 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of the Iranian capital Tehran

▪️Three helicopters reportedly were in the convoy, and the two others made it back without problems

▪️Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the representative of the Iranian supreme leader to the province, are believed to have been in the same helicopter as Raisi

▪️Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian and Housing and Transportation Minister Mehrdad Bazrpash were in the other helicopters that reportedly reached their destination safely

▪️Iran's interior minister said there was no communication with the president. However, some reports suggest that people accompanying Raisi in the helicopter managed to make an emergency call to say that the president is safe and sound.

▪️Emergency services arrived at the crash site, but are yet to report on their progress

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The reported crash site of the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi

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