Martyr Raisi’s Helicopter Crash Was Not a Normal Accident: Mokhber
Iranian Former Vice President Mohammad Mokhber says he never believed the helicopter crash that martyred President Raisi was an ordinary accident, reviving questions surrounding the 2024 tragedy.
Iran, PUREWILAYAH.COM — Mohammad Mokhber, adviser and assistant to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said he has never believed that the helicopter crash which martyred President Ebrahim Raisi was an ordinary accident.
Speaking during a televised interview aired on May 21, 2026, Mokhber stated:
“I never believed that the helicopter crash involving Martyr Raisi was a normal incident.”
The remarks come nearly two years after the tragic incident that shocked Iran and the wider region, with questions and speculation continuing to surround the circumstances of the crash.
Mokhber did not provide additional details regarding why he considered the incident unusual, but his comments have once again drawn public attention to the deaths of several senior Iranian officials aboard the helicopter.
Details of the Helicopter Crash
On May 19, 2024, a helicopter carrying Iranian President Martyr Ebrahim Raisi crashed in mountainous terrain near Varzaghan in northwestern Iran, killing all nine people on board.
The crash occurred as Raisi’s three-helicopter convoy was returning from the inauguration of a joint dam project on the Iran-Azerbaijan border.
According to the Iranian General Staff’s preliminary report released on May 24, 2024, no traces of bullets or sabotage were found on the wreckage, and the helicopter had remained on its predetermined course before the incident.
The report noted that approximately 1.5 minutes before the crash, the pilot had contacted the other two helicopters, after which the president’s helicopter caught fire upon striking the mountain.
Following days of nationwide mourning, Raisi was laid to rest on May 23, 2024, at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, his hometown. Mashhad’s mayor reported that an estimated three million people filled the city’s streets for the funeral procession.
Also martyred in the crash were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Tabriz Friday Prayer Leader Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, along with several security personnel and crew members. (PW)