Iran on Thursday released the first report of the inquiry into the helicopter crash incident which killed president Ebrahim Raisi and seven others. It hinted that there was no external interference and said the chopper followed the intended path before the crash.
What caused Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter to crash?
• The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has released its first report of inquiry by the team that was sent to investigate the crash site on Monday, reported Press TV.
• The helicopter was following its planned route when it crashed into a mountainous area and there was no deviation, the report stated.
• It caught fire upon impact, but the wreckage showed no signs of bullet holes or similar damage, it added.
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• Iranian drones located the crash site at 05:00 am (local time) on Monday, and search teams arrived shortly after.
• Pre-crash communications between the aircraft and ground control were found to be normal, the investigation inquiry report said.
Ebrahim Raisi laid to rest at Imam Reza Shrine
{{/usCountry}}• Pre-crash communications between the aircraft and ground control were found to be normal, the investigation inquiry report said.
Ebrahim Raisi laid to rest at Imam Reza Shrine
{{/usCountry}}Iran laid to rest president Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday at the nation's holiest Shiite shrine. Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash along with the country’s foreign minister and six others, was buried in a tomb at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad.
The shrine is a significant pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims, attracting millions of visitors annually. Raisi is the first top politician in the country to be buried at the shrine. His father-in-law serves as the city's Friday prayer leader.
Who will succeed Ebrahim Raisi?
Raisi, who was 63, had been discussed as a possible successor to Iran's supreme leader, the 85-year-old Khamenei.
Following Sunday's tragic crash, Mohammad Mokhber, previously a relatively unknown figure as the first vice president, has assumed the position of acting president in Iran.
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The country has scheduled its next presidential election for June 28. Currently, there isn't a prominent frontrunner among Iran's political leaders for the presidency. Notably, there is no apparent candidate from the Shiite cleric community, a departure from the background of the late president Raisi.