Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attributed the fatal crash that claimed the lives of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to the inability of Iran to maintain its American-made helicopters due to US sanctions. Lukashenko criticized the United States during a press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Minsk, emphasizing that the sanctions imposed on Iran extended to the servicing of helicopters, including the one involved in the crash.

Lukashenko also pointed out that the US had sanctioned his own presidential aircraft, highlighting the impact of such measures on the safety and maintenance of aircraft. Meanwhile, Putin mentioned that the other helicopters in the Iranian convoy were Russian-made and had operated without issues in similar conditions, suggesting that the crash was not due to environmental factors.

Despite the preliminary findings indicating that the helicopter did not deviate from its flight path and was not shot down, the cause of the crash remains undetermined. Lukashenko expressed hope that Iran would uncover the truth behind the incident, praising President Raisi for his dedication to his country and people. The Kremlin, however, criticized Lukashenko’s remarks as offensive.