The Iranian military announced on Wednesday that it successfully used domestically produced drones to locate President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter after it crashed in the northwestern mountains.

The incident occurred on Sunday, when Raisi’s helicopter went down on a fog-covered mountainside while returning to the city of Tabriz from a ceremony near the Azerbaijan border.

Following the crash, a large-scale search and rescue operation was initiated, which saw assistance from the European Union, Russia, and Turkey.

Despite the deployment of a Turkish drone equipped with night-vision capabilities, the crash site remained undiscovered until early Monday, when Iranian drones managed to pinpoint its location.

The use of Iran’s own drones in the successful location of the crash site underscores the country’s advancements in drone technology.

This achievement also highlights the collaborative international efforts involved in the search and rescue mission, even as Iranian technology ultimately proved pivotal in resolving the situation.

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In a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency, the Iranian military reported that the Turkish drone deployed during the search and rescue operation was unable to accurately identify the location of the helicopter crash.

Despite being equipped with advanced night-vision technology, the drone ultimately failed in its mission and returned to Turkey without success.

“This drone failed to accurately announce the location of the helicopter crash and finally returned to Turkey. “Finally, in the early hours of Monday morning, the exact spot of the helicopter crash was discovered by the ground rescue forces and Iranian drones of the armed forces“, the military said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency.

This statement emphasizes the limitations of the Turkish drone and underscores the significance of Iran’s own technological capabilities in the search effort.

The Iranian military’s domestically produced drones were instrumental in eventually locating the crash site, demonstrating the country’s self-reliance and advanced expertise in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology.

The successful use of Iranian drones in such a critical operation highlights their effectiveness and reliability, particularly in challenging conditions where other advanced equipment fell short.