Iran military: Preliminary results on president's helicopter crash

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the Iranian military announced the preliminary results of the investigation into the helicopter crash involving President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and their companions last Sunday.

The Iranian military released the initial findings of the investigation, indicating that "the helicopter carrying President Raisi did not deviate from its predetermined route but caught fire after colliding with a mountain ridge."

The military report stated that "an Iranian drone discovered the wreckage of Raisi's helicopter, and more time is needed to examine the wreckage."

The report noted that there were no signs of gunfire or similar damage to the remaining parts of the helicopter.

Moreover, the report explained, "The helicopter pilot made contact with the two helicopters that were part of President Raisi's convoy returning from Azerbaijan about a minute and a half before the crash, and no suspicious points were detected in the communications and dialogues between the helicopter crew and the control tower."

Notably, President Raisi's helicopter went off the radar on Sunday afternoon while flying over a steep, forested area in difficult weather conditions with rain and heavy fog.

The Iranian President, Foreign Minister, and another seven were found dead after an hours-long search in the northwest of the country.

Raisi was returning from the inauguration ceremony of a joint border dam with Azerbaijan, where he had met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev earlier on Sunday.

Iran declared a national mourning period for President Raisi, lasting five days, on Monday.