Erstwhile Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has blamed the United States for the helicopter crash that killed President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage.

Mr Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian died on Sunday after the helicopter suffered a hard landing due to bad weather in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province while returning from Khoda Afarin country to Tabriz.

Mr Zarif, who offered his condolences over the death of Mr Raisi and other officials of the government, alleged that the death occurred because of the U.S. sanctions on Iran’s aviation industry.

He stated, “One of the causes of this heartbreaking incident is the United States, which, by sanctioning the sale of the aviation industry to Iran, caused the martyrdom of the president and his companions, and the U.S. crime will be recorded in the minds of the Iranian people and history.”

The former foreign minister added, “With national solidarity and unity, the people showed that they are vigilant and will stand by each other in difficult situations for a better tomorrow.”

He said Iran had faced events in the past 45 years, and according to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, even they tend to overcome the tragic events.