Iran releases preliminary report on helicopter crash

The Iranian authorities have shared a preliminary report on the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi, citing that no suspicious findings have been identified.

Raisi, 63, died on May 19 alongside his foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, and six others after their helicopter went down in the country's mountainous northwest while returning from a dam inauguration on the border with Azerbaijan.

In the report released late on May 23, the General Staff of the Armed Forces stated that the helicopter did not deviate from its predetermined route and continued its course before the crash.

The pilot communicated with his counterparts of the other two helicopters one and a half minutes before the accident, the report said.

The document stated that no traces of external objects, such as bullets, were found on the wreckage of the helicopter, dismissing any claims of sabotage or assassination.

A fire broke out in the helicopter following the fall, the army said.

The rugged terrain, cold weather and foggy conditions prolonged the search and rescue efforts, with access to the crash site only possible by dawn — 15 hours after the accident, according to preliminary findings.

The report noted that no suspicious circumstances were encountered during the communications between the control tower and the flight crew.

The army further stated that the definitive results of the investigation would be shared upon the completion of the review, acknowledging that more time is needed to assess certain data.

Following the crash, a huge search and rescue operation was launched, involving help from Türkiye, Russia and the European Union. The coordinates of the helicopter wreckage identified by a Turkish drone were...