Tehran, Iran; The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces released a preliminary report in May, over the investigation of crashed helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and their entourage. The report said, in the preliminary evaluation, the helicopter continued on its predetermined route without altering its flight path.
The pilot communicated with the pilots of the other two helicopters about a minute and a half before the crash. The report indicates that no traces of gunfire or similar damage was found on the remaining parts of the helicopter and that the helicopter caught fire after the crash. According to a report by Anadolu Agency (a Turkish news agency.)
The final results of the investigation will be shared once it is completed.
Iranian Deputy President for Executive Affairs Mohsen Mansouri confirmed the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and others on 20th May.
An caretaker president was announced later on, the First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber was appointed interim president, while Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani was appointed interim foreign minister.
On 19th of May, Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi alongside Foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and other officials from Iran and Azerbaijan were killed in a helicopter crash, as they were returning from an inauguration ceremony for a dam at the Iran-Azerbaijan border.
The crashed helicopter was a bell 212, an American helicopter, according to news reports.
Raisi's helicopter was flying in East Azerbaijan's region hit by bad weather.
This was a shocker to the world as Iran's proxies, in the region are fighting against Israel, and recently Iran directly attacked Israel with large number of drones and missiles.
Russia, China alongside many other countries came forward and said they are ready to support Iran in the search and rescue operation. Turkey sent 32 mountain rescue specialists to help Iran in the search for the helicopter carrying President Raisi, the government’s emergency aid agency AFAD said. Later on the request of Iran, Türkiye assigned an AKINCI unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for search and rescue activities.
The coordinates of the helicopter wreckage detected by the Turkish UAV were shared with Iranian authorities. Iranian teams reached the location and reported no survivors.