Iran President's death: 'It wasn't us,' says Israel after tragic helicopter crash

Israel has said it was not involved in the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six other passengers and crew members on Sunday.

"It wasn't us," Reuters news agency quoted an Israeli official as saying, who requested anonymity.

Since Iran's ally Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, provoking Israel's assault on Gaza, conflagrations involving Iran-aligned groups have erupted throughout the Middle East, Reuters noted.

A long "shadow war" between Iran and Israel broke into the open last month with tit-for-tat exchanges of drone and missile fire, the global news agency added.

Israel is widely believed to have conducted numerous attacks over the year, targeting senior Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists.

On April 1, at least 13 people, including a top commander in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), were killed in a suspected Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria’s Damascus.

Two weeks after the deadly strike on its consulate, Iran retaliated with over 300 missiles and drones, most of which were deterred by Israel and its allies, including the US, Britain, and Jordan.

Iran's retaliation led to a deadly escalation of regional tensions over the war in Gaza, heightening the risk of a broader Middle Eastern conflict.