The United States has stated that it is conducting an investigation into the helicopter accident involving Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi.
According to reports from foreign media, American Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has confirmed that the US is in the process of investigating the incident.
The reasons behind the crash are currently unknown, and authorities are actively examining the circumstances surrounding the accident and awaiting the outcome of the investigation. Secretary Austin emphasized that Washington played no role in the downing of the Iranian helicopter and cannot speculate on the cause of the crash.
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif previously accused the United States of involvement in the crash, linking it to past tensions between the two nations. However, despite these allegations, the US maintains a ban on the sale of aircraft and aviation spare parts to Iran.
Zarif labeled the incident as another in a series of American actions against Iran. The crash occurred as President Raisi was returning to Tabriz after attending the inauguration of a dam near the Azerbaijani border. The helicopter lost contact approximately half an hour into the flight, crashing in Dizmar forest amid adverse weather conditions.
Following a search operation lasting over 15 hours, the bodies of President Raisi, the Foreign Minister, and others on board were recovered.
Some of the bodies were severely burned and unidentifiable. The remains of all the victims were subsequently transported to Tabriz. Among those killed in the crash were officials such as the Amir of Foreign Affairs, the Representative of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, the Governor of East Azerbaijan, and other prominent figures.