Russia, US, Nigeria, UAE, Qatar, other nations worldwide react to death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi

*Raisi a leader passionately committed to development of Iran – Tinubu

By KEMI KASUMU with Agrncies

World leaders including President of the Russia Federation, Mr. Vladimir Putin, Pr3sident of the Peoples Republic of China, Mr. Xi Jinping,  and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have expressed their condolences on the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.

Rescue teams began searching for Raisi on Sunday afternoon after his aircraft, which also carried nine other officials, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, went missing in Iran’s mountainous northwestern region near the Azerbaijan border.

On Monday morning, relief workers located the missing helicopter. State TV reported that the president’s body and that of the others on board had been identified.

Those who died in the helicopter crash alongside the President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Governor of Eastern Azerbaijan province Malek Rahmati, Tabriz’s Imam Mohammad Ali Alehashem, the Pilot, the c-opilot, Crew Chief, Head of Security and bodyguard

First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber has been appointed as next in line for succession to act as interim President of the country.

Here are some reactions to the president’s death from across the world:

China

President Xi Jinping called the “tragic death” of Raisi “a great loss to the Iranian people and the Chinese people have lost a good friend”, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Raisi a leader passionately committed to the development of Iran – Tinubu

Nigeria

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu also sent his condolences to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi; Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials in a helicopter crash.

Ajuru Ngelale, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, made this known in a Presidency’s statement he issued, dated May 20, 2024 and copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER on Monday.

According to the statement, President Tinubu expressed profound grief over this disturbing tragedy, and describes President Raisi as a leader who was passionately committed to the development of Iran.

While commiserating with the bereaved families, President Tinubu prayed for the continuous peace, stability, and prosperity of the Iranian nation.

On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, the President assured the Islamic Republic of Nigeria’s support and prayers in this moment of grief.

Egypt

A statement from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said that “The president of the Arab Republic of Egypt … prays that the deceased Iranian President and the departed may rest in God Almighty’s mercy, and grant their families patience and solace, expressing the solidarity of the Arab Republic of Egypt with the Iranian leadership and people in this terrible incident.”

European Union

President of the European Council, Charles Michel, expressed the bloc’s “sincere condolences” for the death of Raisi, Amirabollahian and the other Iranian officials who died in the crash.

Josep Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, also offered his condolences.

“The EU expresses its sympathies to the families of all the victims and to the Iranian citizens affected,” he said in a statement.

Hamas

The Palestinian group conveyed its “deepest condolences and solidarity to Khamenei, the government and the Iranian people for “this immense loss”.

It praised Raisi and Amirabollahian for supporting Palestine against Israel and expressed confidence that Iran’s “deep-rooted institutions” will overcome “the repercussions of this great loss”.

Hezbollah

Lebanon’s Iran back group praised the struggle of the martyrs in defending the causes of the nation and their service to Iran, calling on God to bless them with his mercy, to protect Khamenei, and to grant Iran the ability to overcome the ordeal with patience and determination.

India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply saddened and shocked” by Raisi’s death.

“His contribution to strengthening the India-Iran bilateral relationship will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow,” Modi wrote on X.

Iraq

“We express our solidarity with the brotherly Iranian people and the officials of the Islamic Republic during this painful tragedy,” Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani said in a statement.

Italy

In an interview with Italian broadcaster Channel 5, Prime Minister Georgia Meloni said that she sees “in these hours that the Iranian authorities are crediting the thesis of the accident and not conspiracy theories.”

“I do not see any changes in the internal order in Iran, we are in constant contact with our European and G7 allies because we are talking about an incident that is part of a particularly complex regional framework,” she said.

“I hope that the future Iranian leadership wants to commit itself to the stabilisation and pacification of the region,” she added.

Japan

Japan’s government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi said the country expresses its deepest condolences to the government and people of Iran over the death of President Raisi and the foreign minister.

Jordan

In a post on the social media platform X, Jordan’s King Abdullah extended his “deepest condolences to the brothers, leadership, government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the death of Brother President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Brother Hossein Amir Abdullahian and those accompanying them.”

“May God have mercy on them all. We stand in solidarity with our brothers in Iran in this difficult circumstance,” he added.

Malaysia

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he was “deeply saddened” by the news, noting that he had the “honour” of meeting Raisi last November.

“His dedication to justice, peace, and the upliftment of the ummah [the Islamic community] was truly inspiring. We committed ourselves to bolstering Malaysia-Iran relations, working together for the betterment of our peoples and the Muslim world. Our pledge will be fulfilled,” Ibrahim said.

Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared a day of mourning in Pakistan.

“May the martyred souls rest in heavenly peace. The great Iranian nation will overcome this tragedy with customary courage,” Sharif wrote on X.

Pope Francis

The Pope has sent condolences to Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.

“I send condolences upon the deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and all who perished in yesterday’s helicopter crash,” wrote the 87-year-old pope in a telegram written in English and addressed to Khamenei.

“Entrusting the souls of the deceased to the mercy of the Almighty, and with prayers for those who mourn their loss, especially their families, I send the assurance of spiritual closeness to the nation at this difficult time.”

Qatar

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani expressed his condolences to the people of Iran.

“Asking God Almighty for mercy and forgiveness for [those killed] and for their families with patience and solace. We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return,” he wrote on X.

Russia

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed condolences over the death of two top officials he called “reliable friends” of Russia.

“Their role in strengthening mutually beneficial Russian-Iranian cooperation and trusting partnership is invaluable,” Lavrov said.

“We sincerely extend our condolences to the families and friends of the victims, as well as to the entire friendly people of Iran. Our thoughts and hearts are with you in this sad hour.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabollahian shake hands
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabollahian, in Moscow, March 29, 2023 [Yury Kochetkov/Pool via AP] President Vladimir Putin joined Lavrov in offering Tehran condolences.

“Raisi was an outstanding politician whose entire life was dedicated to serving his homeland,” Putin said in a letter to Khamenei, published on the Kremlin’s website.

“As a true friend of Russia, 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,” he added.

Sudan

In a statement, Sudan’s sovereign council head Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan has extended “his sincere condolences and sympathy to the friendly Iranian people.”

“He prays to God Almighty that he may have mercy on the President and his companions, and grant their families patience and solace, expressing the solidarity of the Government of Sudan and its people with the leadership and the Iranian people in this great loss,” the statement added.

Syria

Syrian Presiden Bashar Al- Assad affirmed Syria’s solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the families of the dead.

Assad added that Syria had worked with the late president to ensure strategic ties between Syria and Iran remained prosperous, recalling Raisi’s important visit to Syria as part of enhancing ties for the benefit of both nations.

Turkey

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed condolences and said Ankara had been in contact with Iran since hearing about the crash on Sunday.

He said Turkey’s relevant institutions, including the defence ministry and the disaster management authority, tried “their best but unfortunately, we weren’t able to hear good news,” he told a joint news conference with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, in Islamabad.

Venezuela

“Deeply saddened to have to say goodbye to an exemplary person, an extraordinary leader of the world as our brother Ebrahim is, and will always be, an excellent human being, defender of the sovereignty of his people and unconditional friend of our country,” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said in a statement on the social media platform X.

Yemen’s Houthis

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi’s Supreme Revolutionary Committee, expressed his “deepest condolences” to the Iranian people and the families of the officials who died in the crash.

Al-Houthi added his certainty that Iran would continue “adhering to the loyal leaders of their people, by God’s will”.

UAE

“Our hearts are with you in this difficult time. Our prayers are that God will cover them with His vast mercy and dwell them in His spacious Paradise,” UAE’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum said.

United States

The United States Stated Department has expressed its “official condolences” for the death of Raisi and other officials in a helicopter crash.

“As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms,” department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that he had no insight into the cause of the helicopter crash.

“I can’t speculate on what may have been the cause,” he told reporters.