Iran's Army Finds No Evidence Of Foul Play In Helicopter Crash That Killed President Ebrahim Raisi

Iran's army has found no evidence of criminal activity in the helicopter crash that resulted in the death of the country's president, Ebrahim Raisi, and seven others, as per a report by The Hindu.

According to a preliminary report by the general staff of the armed forces, published by the official IRNA news agency late Thursday (23 May), no bullet holes or similar impacts were observed on the helicopter wreckage.

The helicopter caught fire after hitting an elevated area, and no suspicious content was detected during communications between the watchtower and the flight crew.

Raisi's helicopter had been following a pre-planned route and did not deviate from its designated flight path before the crash.

The wreckage was located by Iranian drones early on Monday, but the complexity of the area, fog, and low temperatures hindered the efforts of search and rescue teams.

The army stated that more time is needed to fully investigate the crash and promised to provide more details later.

The 63-year-old president died on 19 May when his helicopter crashed in Iran's mountainous northwest while returning from a dam inauguration near the Azerbaijan border.

President Raisi was laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday, concluding days of funeral ceremonies attended by throngs of mourners in major cities, including the capital.

Among those killed in the crash was Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who was also buried on Thursday in Shahre Ray, south of the capital.