Iranian president dies in crash; Putin blames US sanctions

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

Many reports disseminated by Russian media or government officials are part of propaganda. Such reports are part of an information war waged by the Russian Federation.

On Friday, Vladimir Putin held negotiations with Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. The Russian dictator 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 travelling 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 flew in the same conditions and route without significant difficulties – said Putin propagandistically.

The Russian president was asked if Raisi's death would affect Tehran-Moscow relations. Putin 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 dictator.

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 dictator, 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," insinuating and 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 Amir Abdollahian and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, representative of Iran's supreme leader in the province.