FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Rescue team works following a crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, May 20, 2024. Stringer/WANA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo/File Photo
Early on Monday, Turkey's Anadolu Agency reported that a Turkish Akinci drone had identified"a source of heat suspected to be wreckage of the helicopter carrying President Raisi" and shared its coordinates with Iranian authorities. Both Iran and Turkey have a large drone arsenal and have focused on showcasing the effectiveness of their drones for export markets. Western powers have accused Iran of providing drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
Iran's Armed Forces said they were not able to immediately deploy their own advanced drones, equipped with synthetic-aperture radar, as they were located in the northern part of the Indian Ocean at the time.