Iranian state media reported, citing security officials, that the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi crashed due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Iranian authorities have yet to release official results of the investigation, but they were expected to be published this week.
Recall that on March 19, a Bell-212 helicopter carrying the Iranian president and other senior officials crashed into a mountain near the village of Tawil, about 30 km from the Azerbaijani border, and burned completely. The crash killed Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, Tabriz Friday Imam Mohammad Ali Ale Hashem, head of the presidential guard, General Mehdi Mousavi of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and two pilots.
Raisi became the second Iranian president to die in office, after Mohammad Ali Rajai, who was killed in a bomb attack in 1981.
Earlier, Kursor reported that after the disaster, rescuers were able to identify the bodies of Raisi and Abdullahyan thanks to their personal belongings. In difficult weather conditions and with severe damage to the helicopter, the bodies suffered severe burns, but a ring belonging to Raisi and Abdullahyan’s wristwatch helped identify them among other victims.
A preliminary report provided by the Iranian military showed that the helicopter followed a designated route and maintained contact with the accompanying aircraft until the moment of the crash. There were no traces of external influence or bombing. The helicopter commander remained in contact with the dispatch service until the last minutes of the flight.
