On Thursday, Iran made public the findings from the inquiry into the helicopter incident that resulted in the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others. The report suggests there was no external tampering and confirmed that the helicopter was on its planned trajectory before the crash.

What led to the crash of President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter?

  • According to the first investigation report released by the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, the team dispatched to the crash site on Monday confirmed the incident details via Press TV.
  • The helicopter was en route as scheduled when it met with an accident in a mountainous region, showing no signs of veering off its path, as per the report.
  • The crash resulted in a fire, but an examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of gunfire or similar external damage.
  • Iranian drones pinpointed the crash location at 05:00 am local time on Monday, with search teams arriving soon after.
  • The report indicated that communications between the helicopter and ground control were routine prior to the crash.

On thursday, President Ebrahim Raisi was buried at the Imam Reza Shrine . Iran conducted the funeral of President Ebrahim Raisi at the country’s most sacred Shiite shrine. Raisi, who perished in the helicopter crash alongside the nation’s foreign minister and six other individuals, was interred in a grave within the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad. This shrine is a major site of pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims, drawing millions of visitors each year. Raisi is the first high-ranking politician in the nation to be buried at this shrine. His father-in-law is the Friday prayer leader in the city.

The succession of President Ebrahim Raisi at the age of 63, Raisi was considered a potential successor to Iran’s supreme leader, the 85-year-old Khamenei. Following the tragic accident on Sunday, Mohammad Mokhber, the then relatively unknown first vice president, has been named the acting president of Iran. The next presidential election in the country is set for June 28. At present, there is no clear favorite among Iran’s political figures for the presidency. Notably, unlike the late president Raisi, there is no evident candidate from the Shiite cleric community.