The United States said on Monday that Iran had requested its assistance after the helicopter accident which cost the life of Iranian President Ebrahim Raïssi, and offered its condolences, while judging that there was “blood on the hands”. “The Iranian government has asked us for help,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, even though the United States and Iran have not maintained diplomatic relations since the revolution. from 1979.
“For logistical reasons we have not been able to provide this assistance”
“We said we would be willing to help, which we would do for any government in this situation,” the spokesperson added. “Ultimately, for essentially logistical reasons, we were not able to provide this assistance,” he said, declining to give details on the content of the request or through what channel. communication, it has been made.
He confirmed, however, that it was to help with the search after the helicopter disappeared on Sunday afternoon while flying over a steep and forested area of Iran in difficult weather conditions, with rain and thick fog. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also died in the crash, along with other officials.
The accident occurred as the United States and Iran reportedly held low-key talks in Oman recently following clashes between Iran and Israel. The United States offered its “official condolences” in a State Department statement. “As Iran chooses a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms,” the text added.
The late president “was a man who had a lot of blood on his hands”, “responsible for atrocious human rights violations” in Iran, commented a White House spokesperson, John Kirby.
Washington does not see “broader impact for regional security”
However, Washington does not see a “broader impact for regional security”. “I don’t necessarily see a broader impact on regional security,” US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin said when asked about it at a press conference. “We continue to monitor the situation, but we have no idea what caused the accident,” Lloyd Austin said, adding that the United States was “not involved” and that American forces were not involved. had not changed their posture after the crash.
Former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed the accident on persistent US sanctions that have hampered the sale of aviation parts. Asked about Mohammad Javad Zarif’s remark, the State Department spokesperson said: “Ultimately, it is the Iranian government that is responsible for the decision to fly a 45-year-old helicopter into this which was described as bad weather conditions, and no one else.”