On May 20, 2024, the helicopter crash took the lives of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. In the wake of this tragic, a flurry of images have been circulating on social media purporting to show the wreckage of the crash. However, upon closer inspection, these images are not what they seem.

Social Media Claim

The images in question depict a wrecked aircraft bearing the flag of Iran, with people searching through a wooded area near the wreckage. These images have been shared widely on social media platforms, with captions suggesting that they show the aftermath of the helicopter crash that killed President Raisi.

Source | Archive

Source | Archive

Source | Archive

Fact-Checking

We began the investigation using the Reverse Image Search feature. This led us to the original post on the X platform, posted on April 23, 2020, four years before President Raisi's accident. The image was actually from an accident involving Iran’s police training plane in Mazandaran province. You can read news about this event here.

Archive

The images show an aircraft numbered 1136, which is identified as a Cessna T206H Turbo Stationair II, previously used by Iranian police before its 2020 crash, contrary to the to the Bell 212 helicopter that was carrying President Raisi at the time of the crash. (Source)

Watch the footage of the aftermath of President Raisi's helicopter crash below.

In the aftermath of the tragic helicopter crash that resulted in the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials, Mohammad Mokhber has been appointed as the acting president. The crash has sent shockwaves across the Middle East, given Iran’s considerable influence in the region. The incident has also led to expectations of challenges with legitimacy for Iran’s political establishment. As the nation grapples with this loss, the world watches closely for the implications of this event on Iran’s future. (Source)

Conclusion

Images circulating on social media purportedly showing the wreckage of the helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi are misleading. The images are from a 2020 crash involving a Cessna T206H Turbo Stationair II used by Iranian police, not the Bell 212 helicopter that was carrying President Raisi.

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Title:Viral Images of Iranian President's Helicopter Crash are MISLEADING

Fact Check By: Cielito Wang

Result: Misleading

Ebrahim RaisiHelicopter CrashIranian President