An image shared on X purports to show the aftermath of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s recent helicopter crash.

Officially confirmed:
#Iran‘s #President‘s #American-made Bell 212 helicopter had nine people on board, all of them dead. pic.twitter.com/UdMlDMecxV

— Md Abdullah (@MdAbdul00657453) May 20, 2024

Verdict: False

The image shows the aftermath of a 2016 plane crash in Colombia. Members of the Brazilian football team Chapecoense were aboard the plane, according to reports at the time.

Fact Check:

Raisi was set to be buried at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad Thursday, according to The Associated Press. The shrine is the “holiest site for Shiite Muslims in the Islamic Republic,” the outlet reported.

“Officially confirmed: #Iran’s #President’s #American-made Bell 212 helicopter had nine people on board, all of them dead,” the X image’s caption reads. The image, which has been viewed over 600 times as of writing, shows debris from the apparent crash.

The claim is false, however. The image, originally featured in a slideshow published by the Spanish-language website Diez, shows the aftermath of a 2016 plane crash that occurred in Colombia. Members of the Brazilian football team Chapecoense were aboard the plane, according to the outlet.

Likewise, the X image does not appear in any recent credible news reports about a recent helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Raisi. In fact, the opposite is true. Misbar also reported the image shows the 2016 plane crash that occurred in Colombia. According to Misbar, the plane “crashed in the mountains near Medellin, Colombia,” killing most of the Brazilian football team Chapecoense. (RELATED: Did Israel War Room Post Helicopter Emoji Minutes Before Iranian President Was Killed In Crash?)

Furthermore, the image is not referenced on the verified X account associated with Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Check Your Fact has contacted Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.