TEHRAN, Iran — The Iranian military has reported that there is no evidence of an attack in the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister, and six other individuals. The helicopter caught fire shortly after it crashed into a mountain in a foggy, remote area of northwest Iran, state media reported.
A statement from the general staff of the armed forces, read on state television late Thursday, indicated that the investigation found no signs of foul play. Communications between the control tower and the helicopter’s crew before the crash did not reveal anything suspicious. The final communication, occurring 90 seconds before the crash, was between the helicopter and two accompanying helicopters.
The Bell helicopter, described as aging, went down on Sunday. The crash site was discovered the following morning, with all eight on board confirmed dead. Raisi was buried on Thursday at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad.
The funeral for President Raisi, attended by tens of thousands at Tehran University, became a platform for Iran’s leadership to reaffirm their political stance. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, addressing Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during the funeral, reiterated Iran’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause and vowed to continue the struggle against Israel.
Khamenei emphasized the resolve to eliminate Israel, a sentiment echoed by the crowd with chants of “Death to Israel.” Haniyeh, along with other representatives from Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, attended the funeral.
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