Iranian military investigators have so far found no evidence of criminal activity in the helicopter crash that martyred President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others.

A preliminary report by the general staff of the armed forces said the craft had “caught fire after hitting an elevated area”, finding no traces of “bullet holes” on the helicopter wreckage.

It is interesting to note that an Israeli official had immediately gone on the record to deny their country was behind the helicopter crash.

But the death of Iranian President in a helicopter crash has excited conspiracy theorists across the world; many of them have rejected Israeli official’s statement for some plausible reasons. It is important to note that many social media users are blaming Israel’s Mossad or even India for the helicopter crash.

But before I say anything more in relation to my own theory I would like to draw this newspaper’s attention to the statement of an Israeli minister that he made only yesterday or many days after the helicopter crash.

He is a member of the security cabinet and transportation minister who has told a right-wing Israeli outlet Iran and the world can see Israel is ‘no sucker’ although government chose not to claim responsibility for the strike on Isfahan airbase last month.

At that time, however, Israel’s national security minister had reacted to the purported Israel strike by describing it ‘dardela’, which means “woefully weak” in Hebrew language.

Regardless of Israeli ministers’ claims or assertions about the so-called strike on Isfahan, one thing appears to be quite certain: Israel is behind the helicopter crash carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and others a few days ago. Please consider the following:

It is no secret that Israel has an extensive anti-Iran intelligence network in many countries that border Iran, including Azerbaijan and Armenia.

It was in February this year that Iran’s Intelligence Ministry claimed that “dozens” of spies working with Israel were discovered in 28 countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe, including several spies operating in Tehran and other parts of Iran.

In my view, therefore, Israel has used its excellent “intelligence assets” in the region to down thehelicopter of Iran’s President, although the question how it planned and executed the attack has no easy answer at this point in time.

Mehdi Hasan (Karachi)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024