We're also following new developments right now surrounding the death of the Iranian president, Ibrahim Raisi. The country's military has reportedly ordered an investigation into what caused Sunday's deadly crash. President Raisi, his foreign minister, and seven others were all killed when their helicopter went down in a remote mountainous region. There was very heavy fog at the time. Technical experts and other officials are expected to visit the crash site. Meantime, the bodies of the victims will be transferred to President Raisi's hometown tomorrow, according to Iranian media.
The U.S. is closely monitoring the situation, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stating that the U.S. has no insights into the cause of the crash. Austin emphasized that the U.S. will defer to the Iranian investigation for information on the incident. He highlighted that the U.S. was not involved in the crash and awaits the findings of the Iranian authorities.
The helicopter involved in the crash was an old U.S.-made aircraft provided to Iran during the Shah's regime. Iran's reliance on outdated U.S. military equipment, including fighter jets and helicopters, due to sanctions limiting access to spare parts and maintenance tools, raises questions about the role of equipment condition in the crash.
The U.S. sanctions against Iran restrict the supply of spare parts and equipment necessary for maintaining aging U.S. military assets in Iran. This limitation on support for Iran's outdated aircraft fleet underscores the challenges Iran faces in keeping its military equipment operational.
