Armed Forces General Staff Rules Out 'Sabotage-Related Explosion' in President Raisi's Helicopter Crash

A committee appointed by the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces to investigate the reasons for the helicopter crash of Ebrahim Raisi announced in its second report that the occurrence of a 'sabotage-related explosion' and communication disruptions related to it, as well as the effects of 'electronic warfare' prior to the incident, are 'ruled out.' However, the report, published on Wednesday, June 9, states that the weather conditions on the return route of Raisi's helicopter and his companions from the Qizqaleh Dam to Tabriz require further investigation based on 'the latest documents received and statements from the pilots and passengers of two other helicopters.' The report also indicates that the examination of the documents and maintenance records of the damaged helicopter shows that no issues that 'could have contributed to the incident were observed.' The General Staff report also mentions that the 'lack of response' from the pilots of the crashed helicopter lasted '69 seconds.' This contrasts with the initial report from the same committee, which stated that the last communication time of the pilots of the crashed helicopter with the other two helicopters was 'about one and a half minutes' before the incident, and the second report states that this duration was 'approximate.' The report clarifies that 'the occurrence of a sabotage-related explosion during the flight and moments before the impact on the slopes is ruled out.' Nevertheless, the report acknowledges that the 'main cause of the incident' has not yet been 'discovered' and investigations will continue. The General Staff also noted that 'no bullet impact' was observed on Raisi's helicopter in the first report published on June 4, coinciding with Ebrahim Raisi's funeral. The two reports released by the General Staff have not provided explanations for the contradictory statements and reports from officials of the Islamic Republic and those who were in the other two helicopters. A 12-minute report aired by Iranian state television on Sunday showed that the Minister of Energy of Raisi's cabinet was informed of the incident shortly after landing with one of the other two helicopters at the Sangan copper mine, following a phone call with someone said to be the Imam of Tabriz, who was aboard Raisi's helicopter. However, officials and state media in Iran referred to the incident as a 'hard landing' for several hours after it occurred, and Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Interior, used the same expression. Additionally, Ali Nikzad, the Deputy Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated in a television interview before Ebrahim Raisi's burial that he learned about the crash of Raisi's helicopter and his companions through a conversation with 'a villager' near the site. The method of rescue and search for the helicopter remains unclear, and domestic media have criticized the chaotic state of the operation. The Ham-Mihan newspaper reported on June 3 that while 'official forces' had not yet reached the site of the incident, 'Turkish journalists' were present and providing 'live reports' from the scene, and 'motorcycle riding popular groups' had arrived at the helicopter crash site before the government rescue teams. Meanwhile, the new report from the General Staff has remained silent on this issue. The first report from the high committee appointed by the General Staff stated that 'due to the complexity of the area, fog, and low temperature,' the search operation lasted until nightfall, and the next morning, Iranian drones located the exact site of the incident. However, Turkish officials had previously announced that their drone was able to inform Iranian officials of the precise crash site, a claim that was denied by Iranian military officials.