The former governor of East Azerbaijan, Ali Reza Beigi, made new statements that cast doubt on the findings of the Iranian investigation committee, which concluded yesterday that the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died along with his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, crashed into a ridge, resulting in a fire and subsequent fall. Beigi described the president's helicopter crash as "full of ambiguity."
Raisi, 63, died last Sunday alongside the foreign minister and six other companions when the helicopter they were on crashed over a mountainous area in East Azerbaijan province, northwestern Iran, while they were returning from a dam inauguration ceremony at the border with Azerbaijan.
In an interview with the Iran Observatory website today, Beigi stated, "From what I heard and observed, it is not clear to me why they covered the distance between Tabriz and the Qaleh Sey dam, which is a short distance, by helicopter." He added, "Why didn't the helicopter land at the Parsabad airport, which is 20 to 25 minutes away from the dam opening site?"
Beigi questioned, "I don’t know why they decided to cover this distance by helicopter, especially since the weather was not stable, making it unwise to travel this route by helicopter."
These statements came after the preliminary report from the investigation committee regarding the crash of the Iranian president's helicopter indicated that the helicopter caught fire upon hitting the slopes and did not deviate from its designated trajectory. The report also confirmed that there were no signs of gunfire on the wreckage and no suspicious matters in the communication between the control tower and the aircraft crew.
It was clarified that the helicopter's pilot had communicated with the two helicopters that were part of the president's convoy. Regarding the duration of search operations, it was noted that they continued until 5 AM due to the rough terrain, heavy fog, and cold weather, eventually concluding after drones located the crash site, at which point rescue teams headed to the location.
However, it was confirmed that a large part of the documents and evidence related to the incident had been collected, but a more profound examination would require more time. It is worth mentioning that the late hardline president was elected in 2021, succeeding moderate Hassan Rouhani, during which time the economy was suffering from the repercussions of US sanctions regarding Iran's nuclear activities. During his presidency, the country faced widespread protests and a worsening economic crisis.
