- The Russian Foreign Minister remembers President Raisi as a “reliable friend of Russia.”
- PM Modi praises the Iranian president for strengthening bilateral relations.
- The President of the United Arab Emirates expresses solidarity with the people of Iran in difficult times.
World leaders have extended their condolences to the people of Iran after the Iranian government confirmed the deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials in a helicopter crash.
President Raisi, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian and other senior officials were returning after attending an opening ceremony for a dam on Iran's border with the Republic of Azerbaijan when the helicopter crashed while flying through mountainous terrain in amid dense fog in the Varzaqan region of eastern Azerbaijan. province on Sunday afternoon.
Iran's Vice President Mohsen Mansouri confirmed Raisi's death in a statement on social media and state television on Monday.
According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)The governor of East Azerbaijan province, Malek Rahmati, and Mehdi Mousavi, head of Raisi's guard team, were also on board the crashed plane.
A large-scale search and rescue operation was launched in the fog-covered mountainous area of East Azerbaijan province and search teams located the remains on Monday morning.
Reacting to the fatal accident, Emir Sheikh Tamin Bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar said: “Sincere condolences to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the death of President Raisi, Foreign Minister Abdullahian and the officials who supported him. accompanied in the painful helicopter accident”. .
The Iraqi Prime Minister also expressed deep sadness and regret over the tragic accident.
“We express our deepest condolences and solidarity to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, and to the nation of Iran, its government and its people. We express our solidarity with the brotherly Iranian people and the officials of the Islamic Republic during this painful tragedy,” said the added statement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed his condolences over the death of Iranian President Raisi and called him a reliable friend of Russia.
“We sincerely express our condolences to the families and friends of the victims, as well as to all the friendly people of Iran. Our thoughts and hearts are with you at this sad time.”
Expressing shock and sadness over the tragic demise of President Raisi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “His contribution to strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Iran will always be remembered. My deepest condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India stands with Iran in this time of pain.”
Additionally, the ruler of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Abu Dhabi, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, “expressed his deepest condolences to the Iranian government and people” over the fatal accident.
“We pray that God grants them eternal rest and extend our deepest condolences to their families. The UAE stands in solidarity with Iran at this difficult time,” he said in a statement on X.
Conveying his sincere sympathy towards the Iranian people, the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, reaffirmed the Gulf country's support for Tehran.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a day of mourning to honor the deaths of President Raisi and other Iranian officials.
“Pakistan will observe a day of mourning and the flag will be flown at half-mast as a sign of respect for President Raisi and his comrades and in solidarity with brother Iran,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
“I, along with the government and people of Pakistan, extend our deepest condolences and solidarity to the Iranian nation over this terrible loss,” the prime minister said while praying for the martyred souls.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday expressed his condolences over the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
“From the first moment we learned of the accident, we have been in contact with the Iranian authorities and have mobilized all means to help [in rescue] efforts. “The relevant institutions, including our Ministry of Defense and the AFAD disaster authority, did their best, but unfortunately we could not hear good news,” Fidan said at a joint press conference on Monday with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, in Islamabad.
