WORLD leaders, including President Bola Tinubu on Monday, May 20, mourned the passing of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash.
Tinubu in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngalele, extended his condolences to the government and people of Iran, describing Raisi as a leader passionately committed to Iran’s development.
He also commiserated with the country on the passing of its foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials lost to the crash.
Raisi, Abdollahian and others onboard the ill-fated helicopter were confirmed dead following on Monday.
The ICIR reported that a helicopter in a convoy carrying the late President and eight others crashed while returning from a ceremony to mark the opening of a dam on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan in the Varzaqan area.
The crash scene of the helicopter was located on a steep, forested hillside, with only a blue and white tail left of the aircraft, according to Red Crescent drone footage broadcast on Iranian official TV.
Reacting to the confirmation of his death, Tinubu expressed profound grief over the tragedy.
“While commiserating with the bereaved families, President Tinubu prays for the continuous peace, stability, and prosperity of the Iranian nation,” the statement added.
Similarly, China’s President Xi Jinping said, in a press conference by the country’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin that “his tragic death is a great loss to the Iranian people, and the Chinese people have lost a good friend.”
Also, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a letter to Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hailed Raisi as an “outstanding politician,” adding that he “made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of good-neighbourly relations between our countries, and made great efforts to take them to the level of a strategic partnership.”
In a statement from its foreign ministry, the France government sent its condolences to Iran and the bereaved families.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise” of Raisi, adding that “India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow.”
Among other world leaders who have reacted to the Iranian president’s death were Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar governments.
Meanwhile, Hamas, another Iran’s powerful ally, expressed sadness over the passing of Raisi, who it described as an “honourable supporter” of the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group whose October 7 attack on Israel sparked the bloodiest-ever war in the coastal territory.
Hamas said it appreciated Raisi’s “support for the Palestinian resistance and tireless efforts in solidarity” with Palestinians since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
The European Union also expressed its “sincere condolences,” noting that its “thoughts go to the families.”
Raisi’s death comes seven months into Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which has escalated tensions throughout the Middle East and exposed a long-running covert conflict between Iran and Israel and a delicate moment for Tehran on the domestic front.
In April, The ICIR reports that Iran launched dozens of drones and missiles from its territory to attack Israel. Also, some Iran proxies – Hizbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen launched drone attacks on Israel.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M