According to the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, the helicopter crashed in a high area and caught fire. The report stated, “No traces of gunfire were observed in the wreckage of the helicopter (…). Nothing suspicious was recorded in the conversations between the control tower and the helicopter crew.” The Iranian leadership said that more details will be revealed as the investigation develops.
Iran. Presidential helicopter crash
The helicopter crash with President Ibrahim Raisi on board occurred on Sunday, May 19. The Iranian delegation was returning from the opening ceremony of a dam on the border with Azerbaijan. Also on board were Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullah Jan and the representative of the country’s Supreme Leader in East Azerbaijan Province. Adverse weather conditions have been cited as the primary cause of the disaster, but details of the accident will be determined by an investigative committee.
Ibrahim Raisi’s funeral
President Ibrahim Raisi was buried today, Thursday, in his hometown of Mashhad. A day before that, tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran to participate in the president’s funeral procession. Early presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Iran on June 28.
Reuters indicates that Iran, according to experts, has problems regarding aviation safety. This is indicated by the relatively frequent aircraft accidents in this country. Many of them, as the agency indicates, relate to machines manufactured in the United States before the Islamic Revolution in 1979. According to the authorities in Tehran, American sanctions prevent the purchase of new aircraft and their spare parts.
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