NEWS of the weekend helicopter crash that killed late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions instantly put the Islamic Republic under the spotlight.
The country acted fast in finding a successor as the incident rocked internal politics in Iran.
Initial results of a probe to find the cause of the helicopter crash did not find anything suspicious or signs of foul play, according to the military crash investigators.
The army report stated the aircraft caught fire immediately after it crashed into a mountain when the foggy weather forced it to perform an emergency landing.
The report also stated that the helicopter did not deviate in its course and its wreckage did not show any signs of bullet holes or it had been attacked.
Additionally, communications between the watch tower and the helicopter crew did not contain any “suspicious” content.
Authorities anticipate more details to come as the investigation continues.
The US-manufactured aircraft that carried Raisi and his companions was believed to have been decades old.
Iran and Russian officials blamed the U.S. sanctions that hindered the Islamic Republic from buying and upgrading its aircraft parts necessary to maintain safety levels.
Raisi and his companions just returned from Azerbaijan after attending the inauguration of a dam when their helicopter crashed while passing through a foggy and mountainous terrain on Sunday.
The late president was buried in the country’s holiest shrine in his hometown city of Mashhad on Thursday.
His funeral rites were attended by about three million people and high-ranking officials from more than 60 countries, according to state media. No Western officials were present in the ceremony.
