The United States on Monday said it had been unable, due largely to logistical reasons, to accept an Iranian request for assistance following a helicopter crash over the weekend that killed President Ebrahim Raisi, as Washington offered its condolences.
The rare request from Iran, which views the United States and Israel as its main adversaries, was disclosed by the State Department at a news briefing.
"We were asked for assistance by the Iranian government. We did make clear to them that we would offer assistance, as we would do in response to any request by a foreign government in this sort of situation," spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
"Ultimately, largely for logistical reasons, we were unable to provide that assistance," Miller said, without elaborating, Reuters reported.
The charred wreckage of the helicopter which crashed on Sunday carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six other passengers and crew, was found early on Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.
Asked whether he was concerned that Tehran might blame Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: "The United States had no part to play in that crash."
"I can't speculate on what may have been the cause," he added.
Still, Austin played down any US concerns that the crash might have immediate security implications in the Middle East.
"I don't necessarily see any broader, regional security impact at this point," he said.
