Red Crescent President Claims Foreign Aid in Locating Helicopter Carrying Raisi is a 'Rumor'

Iranian officials have dismissed foreign assistance in the search operation for Ibrahim Raisi's helicopter as a 'rumor,' while Ankara claims the crash site was identified with the help of a Turkish drone. On Tuesday, May 31, the President of Iran's Red Crescent Society stated that there was 'no foreign aid' in the search operation and asserted, 'If they say there was foreign aid, it is a rumor.' Pirhossein Kolivand mentioned that over two thousand people participated in the rescue operation. This comes as Turkey reported the role of its drone in identifying the crash site of Ibrahim Raisi's helicopter. Previously, the European Union Commission had announced that it activated satellite mapping services in response to a request for assistance from the Islamic Republic. According to Turkish media, the civilian drone 'Akinci' with night vision capability was able to locate the crash site in less than two hours. This news did not escape the attention of journalists in Iran. Maryam Shakirani, a journalist, wrote on her 'X' page: 'Akinci finds the exact coordinates of the bodies and wreckage of the helicopter at night in less than two hours. / TRT Turkey. Compare the rescue time with similar incidents without foreign aid...' Russia also announced that it would send two aircraft carrying special helicopters along with 50 specialized rescue personnel to Tabriz in mountainous areas. Meanwhile, the lack of acknowledgment by Iranian officials regarding the use of foreign assistance in locating the helicopter wreckage has faced criticism from some journalists. Reza Ghabishavi, a journalist, reminded of the actions of Europe, Turkey, and Russia, writing: 'IRIB News Network makes no mention of the EU, Turkey, and Russia's assistance to Iran.' Following the crash of the helicopter carrying President Ibrahim Raisi, Hossein Amirabdollahian, the Iranian Foreign Minister, and his companions were killed on Sunday, May 30, with all eight occupants dead. The wreckage of the helicopter and the bodies of its occupants were found a day later in the mountainous forest of 'Dizmar' in East Azerbaijan province. This incident occurred after the inauguration ceremony of the 'Qiz Qalasi' border dam between Iran and Azerbaijan and on the return route of Ibrahim Raisi and his companions to Tabriz. Iranian officials have yet to provide any explanation regarding the cause of the crash of the 'Bell 212' model helicopter. Turkey: We identified the crash site of Raisi's helicopter; Iranian Red Crescent: It's a rumor. Threats and arrests of citizens following expressions of joy over Ibrahim Raisi's death. Increased criticism of the campaign by officials and state media in spreading false news about the crash of Raisi's helicopter. An Israeli official: Israel had no involvement in Raisi's helicopter crash; Lieberman: We do not shed tears.