TEHRAN - In a press conference on Tuesday, Iran’s judiciary spokesman confirmed a case has been filed regarding the chopper crash that took the lives of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and six others on May 19. 

“Immediately after the incident, a team was assigned by the Judiciary Organization of Armed Forces to follow up on the matter, and a case was formed in this regard,” Asqar Jahangir told reporters. “Officers are currently collecting evidence and final reports, and as soon as the investigation is completed and presented to the judiciary, the case will be pursued with all its dimensions and necessary information will be provided at the scheduled time,” he added.

After attending the official launch of a joint dam project with Azerbaijan, President Raisi departed from the Iran-Azerbaijan border with a Bell 212 helicopter. The aircraft embarked on an approximately 145-kilometer (90-mile) flight southwest to a newly constructed oil pipeline close to the city of Tabriz. Before reaching the destination, it crashed into a cloud-covered mountainside.

While the probe into the incident is still ongoing, preliminary investigations show no sign of foul play. According to a report released by Iran’s Armed Forces a week after the tragedy, the helicopter crashed while flying along its pre-planned route and the remainder of the wreckage did not bear any bullet holes or signs of similar impact. Communications that took place before the incident between the aircraft and the ground control contained no “suspicious” content either. 

While the cause of the tragedy has so far been blamed on severe weather conditions, military investigators say more time is needed to finish all investigations. 

As the Iranian nation continues to grieve the passing of the late Raisi and his companions, it is also gearing up to head to the polls on June 28 to choose a new president.