'What happened was an accident': No foul play evident in Raisi's helicopter crash, source says

A preliminary report by Iran's military had said in May that no evidence of foul play or attack had been found so far during investigations into the crash.

 A HELICOPTER carrying Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi takes off near the Iran-Azerbaijan border, on May 19. The helicopter later crashed, killing the president.  (photo credit: WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY/REUTERS)
A HELICOPTER carrying Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi takes off near the Iran-Azerbaijan border, on May 19. The helicopter later crashed, killing the president.
(photo credit: WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY/REUTERS)

The helicopter crash in which Iran's late President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in May was caused by weather conditions and the aircraft's inability to handle the weight it was carrying, Iran's semi-official news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a security source informed of the final investigation results.

A preliminary report by Iran's military had said in May that no evidence of foul play or attack had been found so far during investigations into the crash.

"The investigation in the case of Ayatollah Raisi's helicopter crash have been completed ... there is complete certainty that what happened was an accident," the unnamed security source told Fars news agency.

Two reasons for the accident were identified: the weather conditions were not suitable and the helicopter was unable to handle the weight, leading to it crashing into a mountain, the source added, according to Fars.

 A SUPPORTER of then-Iranian presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi kisses his poster during a campaign rally in Tehran, in 2017. (credit: TIMA VIA REUTERS)
A SUPPORTER of then-Iranian presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi kisses his poster during a campaign rally in Tehran, in 2017. (credit: TIMA VIA REUTERS)

The investigations indicate that the helicopter was carrying two individuals more than the capacity that security protocols dictate, the source told Fars.

Raisi, a hardliner and potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border.