Technical Malfunction Suspected in Iranian Presidential Helicopter Crash

A technical malfunction is suspected to have caused the crash of an Iranian Bell 212 helicopter, which resulted in the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday, according to the state-controlled IRNA agency.

The Turkish news agency IHA, citing Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, also reported technical issues with the helicopter, which crashed in the mountains of East Azerbaijan province. Turkish authorities noted an atypical breakdown, as there were no signals from the aircraft. Uraloglu speculated that the Bell 212's signaling system might have been either missing or disabled.

Transport Minister Uraloglu emphasized that it is premature to discuss any criminal implications of the crash, as it occurred under extremely bad weather conditions. President Ebrahim Raisi and several other officials died in the crash, leading Tehran to declare five days of national mourning. Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will serve as interim president for the next 50 days.

In response to the incident, Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, has ordered the formation of a commission to investigate the crash. According to RT, the commission, headed by Major General Ali Abdallahi, includes specialists from military and technical fields who are tasked with determining the cause of the crash. The IRIB TV channel reported that the commission has already arrived at the crash site in East Azerbaijan.

Additionally, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu announced Russia’s readiness to assist in investigating the crash and extended condolences over the death of President Raisi.