Final Report: The Cause of Raisi's Helicopter Crash Was 'Complex Weather Conditions'

The high-level committee assigned by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic to investigate the helicopter crash carrying Ebrahim Raisi states in its final report that the reason for the incident was 'complex climatic and weather conditions' in the area, which led to the helicopter colliding with a mountain. The helicopter, which carried the former President of Iran, the former Foreign Minister, and several others, crashed at noon on May 30 in the heights of the Varzeqan region of East Azerbaijan province, killing all on board. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran had previously published two official reports and in the third report, released on Sunday, September 2, and labeled 'final,' it stated that the main cause of the helicopter crash was identified as 'the complex climatic and weather conditions in the spring season, which caused a sudden thick and dense mass of fog to rise towards the altitude and the helicopter to collide with a mountain.' The report ruled out the possibility of the helicopter being targeted by 'offensive and defensive systems, electronic warfare, and the creation of a magnetic and laser field.' The General Staff also emphasized that 'toxicology and pathology tests' on the bodies of the deceased revealed 'no suspicious cases.' Meanwhile, the Fars news agency, close to the Revolutionary Guards, reported on August 22, citing 'an informed security source,' that security and intelligence agencies had not identified any 'suspicious factors' and that the 'heavy weight of the helicopter' in 'adverse weather conditions' was a significant factor in the pilot's inability to control the helicopter. The General Staff rejected this report shortly after, and the final report of the investigating committee made no mention of the helicopter's weight. The report dismissed issues such as helicopter part malfunctions, the pilot deviating from the path, and sabotage of components and systems, stating that after reviewing the cockpit voice recorder system, 'no emergency messages or status reports were declared by the pilot of the crashed helicopter.' In its first report, published on June 24, coinciding with Ebrahim Raisi's funeral, the General Staff had stated: 'No signs of bullet impacts or similar cases were observed in the remaining parts of the crashed helicopter.' In the second report, released five days later, the occurrence of 'an explosion caused by sabotage' and communication disruption related to it, as well as signs of 'electronic warfare' prior to the incident, were ruled out. The third and final report, released more than a hundred days after the incident, provided no explanation as to why two other helicopters that were flying with Raisi's helicopter did not encounter accidents due to weather conditions. Immediately after the incident, conflicting statements and narratives from officials and media of the Islamic Republic began and continued for several days. Reactions to these contradictory narratives were widespread, with even some figures close to the government and domestic media expressing significant criticisms despite the security atmosphere and threats in this regard. Additionally, the Islamic Republic's inability to locate the exact crash site and the wreckage of the helicopter became a topic of controversy, and the process of finding and officially confirming the deaths of the former president and his companions took 18 hours.