Putin blames US sanctions for helicopter crash killing Iran's Raisi

Vladimir Putin spoke about the disaster that claimed the life of Iranian leader Ebrahim Raisi. Putin mentioned that Russian-made helicopters had been flying in the same conditions and route without "significant difficulties." Alexander Lukashenko also blamed the United States for the accident.

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On Friday, Vladimir Putin held negotiations with Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. The Russian president commented on Russian-Iranian relations and the recent disaster that killed eight people, including Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian.

The Iranian delegation was returning from Azerbaijan in three helicopters. The President of Iran was traveling in an American helicopter, the Bell 212, which was introduced in the late 1960s.

“By the way, the individuals accompanying (the president - editor) were flying in two Russian, as far as I know, helicopters. Russian-made helicopters were flying in the same conditions and route without significant difficulties,” said Putin propagandistically.

When asked if Raisi's death would affect Tehran-Moscow relations, the Russian president replied that, regarding foreign policy, these would be "sovereign decisions of Iran."

"We are unlikely to see any changes in the Iranian administration's foreign policy after this tragedy. I mean that the foundations of Iranian statehood are fairly stable, reliable," stated the Russian president.

During the meeting with Putin, Lukashenko also addressed the presidential helicopter disaster. "As a person, and not as a president, I will say that the vile, disgusting position of the United States led to this. I mean sanctions, first of all. Those scoundrels had no right to introduce sanctions against vessels (aircraft, helicopters) that transport people," stated Lukashenko at a press conference after the meeting.

According to the Belarusian president, the United States banned the maintenance of the helicopter.

Lukashenko stated that much was said about what happened and how it happened. Still, he believed Iran would eventually "figure out what happened there," insinuated Lukashenko, blaming the United States for the accident.

Raisi died overnight on May 19-20 in a helicopter crash near Jolfa in the East Azerbaijan province of Iran. The aircraft hit a mountainside in the fog and burned. Along with the Iranian president, seven other people died, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, representative of Iran's supreme leader in the province.