Iran rules out foul play in late President Raisi's death

Tehran [Iran]: Iran's military has said that inclement weather conditions, including thick fog, were the cause of the helicopter crash in May this year in which President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage were killed.

As per a report in IRNA, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces released its final report on September 1, confirming earlier findings that harsh weather conditions in northwestern Iran at the time of the incident, including a dense and rising fog, were the primary cause of the crash. Raisi along with seven others, including his foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, died in the air crash on May 19, 2024.

Following the tragedy, Masoud Pezeshkian was elected Iran's new president in July this year.

The report said all the documents related to the helicopter's maintenance and repairs, as well as its flight recorder were checked. It said there were no defects found, and the chopper's flight path was correct.

It also said the possibility of the aircraft being targeted by offensive and defensive systems has been ruled out.

The report also said that a detailed analysis of the flight path showed that the helicopter was on its predetermined route and had not deviated from it during the flight.

Parts and systems from the crashed helicopter - including engines, power transmission systems, fuel systems, and electronic equipment- were thoroughly tested by experts from the Ministry of Defence and no defects were found that could have contributed to the crash, the report by Iran's military stated as per State media outlet IRNA.

Additionally, a forensic committee conducted toxicological and pathological tests on the remains of the victims and the results indicated no suspicious findings.

The investigation also ruled out the possibility of sabotage or the helicopter being targeted by offensive and defensive systems, cyber-attacks, or magnetic fields and lasers.

(ANI)