This Video Does Not Show the Iranian President’s Helicopter Crashing
The Claim
The moment the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi crashed have emerged.
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Emerging story
Recently, social media users have been circulating a video claiming to depict the moment of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crash and the accompanying delegation.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and found it to be fake. The video clip was fabricated and did not depict the moment of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crash. Furthermore, the screams and calls for help in Persian were added to the original scene.
A Helicopter Crash in Panama in 2022
The original video footage was published in August 2022, with media reports at the time stating that it documented the moment of a helicopter crash carrying Panamanian presidential candidate Dimitri Flores.
According to reports then, the helicopter crashed from a height of 1400 meters amidst forests between the cities of Bocas del Toro and Chiriquí in Panama, carrying presidential candidate Dimitri Flores and five others.
The helicopter crash resulted in some of them sustaining fractures, but rescue teams were able to reach the crash site and rescue all six passengers, thanks to the video footage Flores was recording before and during the helicopter's fall.
Immediately after the incident, Flores shared the video on social media, requesting assistance, which helped expedite the rescue operations by Panama's National Air Service crews. All passengers were transported for medical treatment.
President Raisi’s Funeral
The claim began circulating following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and their accompanying delegation after their plane crashed on May 19 over the mountains of East Azerbaijan Province.
The funeral prayer for Raisi, Abdollahian, and their delegation was held on Wednesday, May 22, at Tehran University, with funeral processions continuing in Tehran.
Iran has declared five days of mourning for Raisi, while First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has been tasked with assuming the presidency until new presidential elections are held within 50 days.
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Iranian President’s Plane Crash: How the Absence of Official News Enabled Misinformation To Spread
