Second Iranian Report into Raisi Helicopter Crash Excludes Sabotage

By Al Mayadeen English

29 May 2024 21:38

The Iranian General Staff issued another report underlining that the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi was not caused by any outside influence and took place due to natural causes.

The Communications Center of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff released Wednesday its second report concerning the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the helicopter crash that resulted in the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and their companions.

The report emphatically denies any act of sabotage or explosion affecting the helicopter during its flight.

The report confirms that there was "no malfunction" in the communication systems or interference with the helicopter's frequencies at the time of the incident.

Additionally, it stated that there were no signs of electronic warfare targeting the aircraft. The number of passengers onboard was also found to be "consistent with the weight standards" typically observed for such flights.

The Iranian General Staff has assured that all available information will continue to be analyzed until a final announcement is made regarding the cause of the helicopter crash.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran published Thursday the preliminary report issued by the high investigation committee regarding the reason behind the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and an accompanying delegation. 

President Raisi's helicopter followed its pre-planned itinerary and did not divert from it, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stressing that the helicopter's pilot was in contact with the crewmembers of the two other helicopters that were part of the presidential convoy.

"There were no marks indicating that the helicopter was shot down or came under any attack," the statement added.

"The President's helicopter caught fire upon crashing into the hills," the statement explained.

The search and rescue operations for the helicopter, the statement said, continued until 5:00 am (local time) due to the rugged nature of the terrain, the fog, and the harsh weather.

At the end of the briefing, the General Staff of the Armed Forces stressed that further investigation would need more time, noting that a large part of the necessary documents and evidence had been collected.

Days earlier, Iranian Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri ordered an investigation into the circumstances of the helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday.

Bagheri ordered a high-ranking committee to "launch an investigation into the cause of the president's helicopter crash", the ISNA news agency reported hours after it was revealed that the Iranian President did not survive the crash.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and accompanying officials passed away in the tragic helicopter crash in Iran's East Azerbaijan Province, according to an official statement by Iranian state media.