TEHRAN - The Iranian Armed Forces have issued an initial report on the helicopter crash that resulted in the martyrdom of President Ebrahim Raeisi and his accompanying delegation.

An investigative team dispatched to the crash site on Monday has gathered significant information regarding potential contributing factors, according to the report released on Thursday.

The report reveals that the helicopter was following its designated flight path when it crashed into mountainous terrain. It caught fire upon impact, but no evidence of gunfire or other external damage was found on the wreckage.

Iranian drones located the crash site at 05:00 a.m. on Monday, and rescue teams arrived shortly thereafter. Communications between the aircraft and ground control prior to the incident showed no irregularities. The Armed Forces emphasize that the investigation is ongoing, and any further findings will be communicated to the public.

The helicopter crash that took the lives of President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and six others occurred on Sunday in northwestern Iran as the two officials were returning after the inauguration of a dam.