The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran refuted a news agency's report claiming that the helicopter of the late President Ebrahim Raisi crashed due to adverse weather conditions and excessive weight, APA reports.
Raisi’s helicopter crashed in north-western Iran on May 19, resulting in the deaths of all passengers, including the president and his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
General Staff of the Armed Forces later declared that what was reported by Fars News, quoting a "security source”, was flawed and invalid.
It reminded that the General Staff, the authority responsible for publishing news about this incident, had previously explained the dimensions and reasons for the helicopter crash in two separate statements.
“It is necessary for the media to coordinate with the [General Staff of the Armed Forces] when publishing defence, security, and law enforcement news, and to prioritise accuracy over speed to avoid providing opportunities for enemy abuse,” the General Staff said in a statement.
***19:09
The investigation into the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi in Iran has been completed, APA reports citing Iranian media.
It has been confirmed that Raisi died as a result of the crash without any external interference.
The causes of the crash have been identified as "weather conditions" and "the helicopter's heavy weight."
It was determined that the helicopter carrying Raisi was overloaded with more passengers than intended. As a result, the helicopter was unable to reach the necessary altitude and crashed into a mountain in foggy conditions.
Note that the helicopter, carrying President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials, crashed on May 19 of this year in Iran.
President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and several other officials died in the crash.