TEHRAN – The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has signed a contract with a Russian company to buy 12 night-vision and three firefighting helicopters, an official with the IRCS has said.

The contract was signed in the past Iranian calendar month (April 20–May 19), IRNA quoted Babak Mahmoudi as saying.

These are large and specialized aircraft equipped with six supporting copters and cost about 500 million dollars, he added.

The Russian company has announced that it will probably be able to deliver four helicopters by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2025).

However, the contract needs to be finalized by the Ministry of Industry, Mining, and Trade.

President Ebrahim Raisi and his accompanying delegation tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash that occurred in the Dizmar forest, northwestern East Azarbaijan Province, on May 19.

The incident unfolded as the late President, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials, were returning from Azerbaijan, where they had attended the inauguration of a dam on the Aras River.

According to reports, dense fog in the region contributed to the crash, posing challenges for rescue teams. 

The helicopter went down near the Sungun copper mine, situated between Jolfa and Varzaqan in East Azarbaijan province, approximately 70km to 100km away from Tabriz, the intended destination of the president and foreign minister.

Despite the immediate dispatch of 40 rescue teams to the forested and mountainous area, adverse weather conditions impeded aerial access, forcing ground teams to navigate difficult terrain.

Following an hours-long search hampered by poor weather conditions, rescuers found the burnt-out wreckage of the helicopter, and its passengers were confirmed dead.

In the early hours of May 20 in the morning, the Iranian Red Crescent Society confirmed that there were no survivors at the crash site.

The event confirms the urgent need to equip the IRCS with night-vision helicopters, the official noted.

MT/MG