Amid ongoing speculation regarding the cause of death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a final investigation has concluded that poor weather was the primary factor in the fatal helicopter crash that led to his demise.

According to the Supreme Board of the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, complex climatic conditions in the mountainous region of Azerbaijan led to a sudden upward surge of dense fog, causing the helicopter to collide with the terrain. No evidence of sabotage was found in the aircraft’s systems or components.

Interestingly, the report addresses the short timeframe between the last contact with the pilots and the crash. It notes that only 69 seconds elapsed before the incident, with no emergency status declared by the crew.

However, this has done little to quell widespread speculation about foul play that had been circulating since May. An earlier report last month from the same investigating board had described weather conditions on the day of the incident as favorable for flight operations. Adding to the confusion, the IRGC-affiliated Fars News had reported that the crash was due to a combination of adverse weather and the helicopter being overloaded.

As a young cleric, Raisi served on the infamous “Death Commission” that oversaw the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the late 1980s. His ruthless campaign of terror solidified Raisi’s reputation as a merciless enforcer of the regime’s will, earning him the moniker “The Butcher of Tehran.”

During his tenure as president, Raisi oversaw a vicious crackdown on dissent, deploying the regime’s security forces to crush any opposition. His brutal suppression of demonstrations in 2022 showcased the depths of the former leader’s cruelty when demonstrators were met with live ammunition, mass arrests, and torture.