Iran's final investigation into the helicopter crash that claimed the life of President Ebrahim Raisi in May has determined that adverse weather conditions were to blame, AFP reported on Sunday, citing a statement from the investigating body.
The helicopter, which was carrying the 63-year-old Raisi and his entourage, crashed on a fog-covered mountainside in northern Iran. The accident resulted in the deaths of the president and seven others, leading to the announcement of snap elections.
The primary cause of the crash was identified as the "complex climatic and atmospheric conditions of the region in the spring," the special board that was tasked with investigating the circumstances of the accident said in a statement on Sunday reported by state broadcaster IRIB.
The investigation concluded that "the sudden emergence of a thick mass of dense and rising fog" was the reason the helicopter collided with the mountain.
Iran's army had similarly reported in May that there was no evidence of criminal activity in the crash, which also claimed the life of Raisi's foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
In August, Fars news agency reported that bad weather conditions and the helicopter's inability to ascend with two additional passengers, which was against security protocols, were the main causes of the crash on May 19.
However, the Iranian armed forces swiftly dismissed this conclusion, stating that "what is mentioned on Fars news about the presence of two people in the helicopter against the security protocols... is completely false."