DUBAI, September 1. /TASS/. Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff has ruled out any possibility that late President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter could have been shot down.
"Experts looked into a theory that the helicopter was hit from offensive or defensive weapons systems, electronic warfare means, laser or by means of electromagnetic impact. They excluded the theory that the crash was caused by these objects," it said in a final report after the investigation.
"The key cause of the crash was unfavorable weather conditions in the area in a springtime, namely thick fog that formed unexpectedly when the helicopter was pulling up and hit a mountain," it said.
According to the report, the forensic examination found "no suspicious substances" in the bodies of those killed in the crash. Specialists also scrutinized all documents concerning the helicopter’s technical condition and concluded that it has underwent all necessary maintenance and repairs in strict compliance with the regulations in force. The pilots followed the designated route and did not deviate from it.
On May 19, a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi crashed in Iran’s Eastern Azerbaijan Province. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Province Governor Malek Rahmati, Tabriz's Friday Prayer Imam Seyyed Mohammad-Ali Al-Hashem and the chief of the presidential guard were also onboard the helicopter. All the five passengers and three crew were died in the crash.
On May 23, the Iranian General Staff said that no bullet traced had been spotted on the helicopter’s hull. The rotorcraft caught fire after it hit the mount and it took the whole night to find the crash site because of fog, the cold weather and the impassable terrain. On May 29, it said that it excluded a theory that the crash had been caused by an explosion stemming from an act of sabotage.