Iran denies foul play in Raisi helicopter crash

The 63-year-old died on May 19 after his helicopter went down in the country's mountainous northwest while returning from a dam inauguration on the border with Azerbaijan.

"No bullet holes or similar impacts were observed on the helicopter wreckage," said a preliminary report by the general staff of the armed forces published by the official IRNA news agency late Thursday.

"The helicopter caught fire after hitting an elevated area," it said, adding that "no suspicious content was observed during the communications between the watch tower and the flight crew."