Iran’s Military Says Raisi’s Helicopter Caught Fire Soon After Crash and There Was No Sign of Attack

Iran’s Military Says Raisi’s Helicopter Caught Fire Soon After Crash and There Was No Sign of Attack
Rescue team members work at the crash site of a crashed helicopter, an incident that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Varzaghan, in northwestern Iran, on May 20, 2024. Azin Haghighi/AFP via Getty Images
The Associated Press
Updated:

TEHRAN, Iran—The helicopter carrying Iran’s late President Ebrahim Raisi caught fire soon after it crashed into a mountain and there was no sign it was attacked, state media reported, citing the military’s crash investigators.

The statement from the general staff of the armed forces in charge of investigating the crash was read on state television late Thursday. The first statement on the crash did not lay blame but said more details would come after further investigation.