In a new turn of events, Iranian Member of Parliament Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani claimed that late President Ebrahim Raisi also used pagers. A blast in the device likely led his chopper to crash.
“One likely scenario regarding the deadly helicopter crash that killed Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi is the explosion of his pager,” Ardestani told Iranian media outlet Didban.
The claims by Ardestani, a member of the National Security Commission of Parliament have garnered significant attention and speculation regarding the circumstances surrounding the helicopter crash that killed Raisi, his foreign minister, and other senior officials in May 2024.
This assertion has emerged following alarmist pager and walkie-talkie blasts in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, that have killed civilians including a 9-year-old girl and Hezbollah militants. Both attacks are widely blamed on Israel, raising fears that the ongoing conflict between the two sides could escalate into full-scale war.
Ardestani further said that Tehran was involved in purchasing the pagers held by Hezbollah operatives, and hinted that such a device could have been responsible for the helicopter crash.
While taking to an X-platform, Europen-based Iranian journalist Mohamad Ahwaze reported that Ardestani said that Hezbollah had been hacked and confirmed that Raisi had one of the compromised pagers.
Iranian journalist Mohamad Ahwaze reported that Iran was involved in purchasing the pagers used by Hezbollah. He added that Hezbollah had been hacked, noting that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was also using the pager.
“Very important: Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, stated that Iran was involved in purchasing the exploding pagers used by Hezbollah. He added that Hezbollah had been hacked, noting that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was also using the pager. He explained that the likely scenario for Raisi’s helicopter crash could have been the result of his pager exploding,” he wrote.
Earlier, the Iranian government had attributed the helicopter crash to poor weather conditions but Ardestani’s comments bring another twist into the probe. The fact that pagers are associated with security issues where they are used in sensitive political situations is quite significant. While such investigations are still being conducted, this theory may force a reconsideration of not only the processes that led to the crash but also the potential consequences for national security in Iran.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Sayima Ahmad | 
