Israel denies involvement in Iran president's helicopter crash

Helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi leaves site as one of the helicopters in his convoy crashed after the inauguration of a dam on the border along with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Jabrayil district of Azerbaijan on May 19, 2024. [Islamic Republic News (IRNA) – Anadolu Agency]

Israel had nothing to do with the accident involving the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, Israel’s Channel 13 reported yesterday, citing Israeli officials.

The Israeli channel quoted officials saying: “The message Israel is sending to the countries of the world is that Tel Aviv has nothing to do with the incident.”

Iranian television said that a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his accompanying delegation was forced to make a “hard landing” in the East Azerbaijan Province, Iranian reports revealed yesterday.

The president had been on his way back from Azerbaijan where he had inaugurated a joint border dam and met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev yesterday.

Iranian media reported that the helicopter carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, Imam of Tabriz Mosque, Imam Ayatollah Al Hashemi, and other officials, crashed and the passengers have been pronounced dead.

The president’s helicopter was forced to land due to bad weather conditions, state media said, noting that the bad weather conditions also hindered relief teams.

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