US says it was ‘unable’ to provide Iran assistance after Raisi helicopter crash

The United States on Monday said it had been unable, due largely to logistical reasons, to accept an Iranian request for help following a helicopter crash over the weekend that killed President Ebrahim Raisi, as Washington offered its condolences.

“We were asked for assistance by the Iranian government. We did make clear to them that we would offer assistance, as we would do in response to any request by a foreign government in this sort of situation,” spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

“Ultimately, largely for logistical reasons, we were unable to provide that assistance,” Miller said, without elaborating.

Mohsen Mansouri, vice-president for executive affairs, told state television on Monday that the funeral procession for Raisi and other members of his entourage killed in the crash would be held in Tehran on Wednesday.

Earlier, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced five days of public mourning and offered “condolences to the dear people of Iran”.

“I can’t speculate on what may have been the cause,” he added.

“I don’t necessarily see any broader, regional security impact at this point,” he said.

Under the Islamic Republic’s constitution, a new presidential election must be held within 50 days.

Suzanne Maloney, an Iran scholar at the Brookings Institution think tank, said Khamenei and Iran’s security services would seek to avoid any perception of vulnerability during the transition period.

“As a result, I’d expect a skittish, reactive Iran that may be more risk-averse in the near term but paradoxically more dangerous if it perceives itself on the defensive,” Maloney said.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse