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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The Iranian news agency IRNA published the last photo with the president's helicopter taken after the opening of the dam

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The Iranian news agency Mehr News published a video of the president's flight one hour before the hard landing

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One of the search and rescue teams reached the site of the hard landing of Raisi’s helicopter, local media has reported, citing the head of the Iranian Red Crescent.

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The Russian Army broke through Ukrainian defenses in the Pologovsky area and advanced up to one and a half kilometers towards the city of Gulyaypole in the Zaporozhye region, Vladimir Rogov, a senior official of the Russian-appointed Zaporozhye regional administration, told Sputnik.

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Russia in world’s top-ten economies since start of century

The Russian economy has ranked tenth among the world's major economies when it comes to growth in US dollars since the beginning of the 21st century, a Sputnik analysis of data from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank has shown.

Russia's GDP has grown 7.7 times over the past 23 years, increasing to more than $2 trillion dollars from $260 billion at the end of the last century, according to the analysis.

On Friday, the Washington Post reported that Russia has been successful in it's efforts to build “a sustainable economy” amid the ongoing special military operation. The newspaper also mentioned the futility of Western sanctions, which “have failed to collapse Russia’s economy.”

Ethiopia, which joined BRICS earlier this year, has grown the fastest since the beginning of the century: its economy has increased 19.4 times to $160 billion. Then comes China whose GDP has grown 14.6 times over to $17.7 trillion.

Japan, a member of the G7, is the only country that has shown a decrease in GDP in dollar terms since the beginning of the century. Its economy shrank by 15% to $4.2 trillion, compared to $5 trillion at the end of last century.

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The chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces announced the need to use all available forces of the army, armed forces and police to find the Raisi helicopter, according to the Iranian Fars news agency

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Four out of ten Germans want to cut Ukraine spending – survey

At least 40% of German citizens wish to see the amount of money sent to the Kiev regime cut, a survey by INSA Institute has revealed. Expenditure on the Ukrainian Army is the area that most respondents want to see wound down. The second budget item German people wish to be cut is migrant allowances.

Earlier, German media reported that the Bundeswehr asked for an additional $4.13 billion for Ukraine while next year this sum may grow almost fourfold and reach a whopping $16.3 billion. Berlin's Ministry of Finance admitted that the government is lacking crucial funds to finance these expenditures. Nevertheless, Minister of Finance Christian Lindner has backed the Bundeswehr’s bid for additional funds.

Russian officials have repeatedly stressed that no amount of military spending on Ukraine will have any effect on the special operation’s outcome – and lately, this idea has been becoming more and more obvious to the West. However, the US and their allies continue to sponsor the agonizing Kiev regime, trying to drag the conflict out for as long as possible, which only leads to more casualties in Ukraine and more economic hardship across the Western world.

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📹 Darkness and rain have complicated the search for the helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi; it is impossible to get to the emergency site, Iran's Tasnim news agency reports.

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How is power distributed in Iran?

▪️Supreme Leader: The most powerful position is held by the supreme leader, currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The supreme leader is the highest secular and religious authority in the country, holding sway over the Iranian government, military and judiciary.

▪️President: The president, currently Ebrahim Raisi, is the second highest-ranking official. The president carries out the decrees, and answers to the Supreme Leader. Unlike the executive in other countries, the president of Iran does not have full control over the government.

▪️Vice President: Currently Mohammad Mokhber is first vice president. According to Article 131, the first vice president takes over as acting president if the president in incapacitated, but only if permitted by the supreme leader. According to the same article, the first vice president (or anyone serving as acting president) must make sure that a new president is elected within fifty days.

▪️Guardian Council: This 12-member body, half appointed by the supreme leader and half by the judiciary, vets candidates for office and can veto legislation.

▪️Assembly of Experts: An 88-member body of clerics elected by the public, this assembly has the power to appoint and dismiss the supreme leader.

▪️Parliament (Majlis): The elected legislative body can draft laws, but its decisions can be overridden by the Guardian Council.

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