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Reactions to the death of Iran’s president in a helicopter crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, above, the country’s foreign minister and others have been found dead at the site of a helicopter crash Monday. (AP)
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Updated 20 May 2024
Arab News
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Reactions to the death of Iran’s president in a helicopter crash

  • Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offer their condolences
  • Pakistan to observe a day of mourning and Pakistani flags to fly at half mast as a mark of respect
Updated 20 May 2024
Arab News

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman offered their condolences to Iran after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash which also killed Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. 

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed on X said: “I extend my deepest condolences to the Iranian government and people over the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and those accompanying them following a tragic accident. We pray that God grants them eternal rest and we extend our heartfelt sympathies to their families. The UAE stands in solidarity with Iran at this difficult time.”

UAE Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid also posted on X: “Our condolences and sincere sympathies to the brotherly Iranian people and their leadership on the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Foreign Minister in a painful accident. 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.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed on Monday his condolences, state media said.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, in a statement said: “Raisi and Abdollahian were known as “true, reliable friends of our country”.

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

“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.”

Russia’s embassy in Tehran also offered condolences over Raisi’s death, state news agency TASS reported.

China’s President Xi Jinping has expressed condolences over Raisi’s death, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday expressed his condolences for the death of Raisi and Amirabdollahian, saying Raisi was a “valuable colleague and brother”.

“As a colleague who personally witnessed his efforts for the peace of the Iranian people and our region during his time in power, I remember Mr. Raisi with respect and gratitude,” Erdogan said on social media platform X, adding Turkey stood by Iran in this difficult time.

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan also extended condolences to the Iranian people on the death of Raisi and Amirabdollahian.

The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad on X said: “Sincere condolences to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian, and the accompanying officials in the painful helicopter accident, asking God Almighty for mercy and forgiveness for them and for their families with patience and solace. We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.”

Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Monday extended his condolences for the deaths of Raisi and Amirabdollahian in a helicopter crash.

“Egypt mourns, with great sadness and grief” the Iranian president and Tehran’s top diplomat, “who passed away on Sunday following a painful accident,” the presidency said in a statement.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani said in a statement: “With great sadness and sorrow, we have received the news of the death of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, along with their companions, in the unfortunate plane crash in northern Iran.”

He added, “We extend our sincere condolences and sympathy to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Mr. Ali Khamenei, and to the government and people of Iran. We express our solidarity with the brotherly Iranian people and the responsible officials in the Islamic Republic during this painful tragedy.

“We ask God to have mercy on the departed, and may He grant patience and solace to their families and loved ones.”

Syrian President Bashar Assad in a statement also offered condolences to Iran’s Supreme Leader over death of the president and the foreign minister.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday he was “deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise” of Raisi after Iranian media reported he had died in a helicopter crash.

“My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran,” Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter. “India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow.”

Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif posted on X: “I along with the government and people of Pakistan extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the Iranian nation on this terrible loss. May the martyred souls rest in heavenly peace. The great Iranian nation will overcome this tragedy with customary courage.

“Pakistan had the pleasure of hosting President Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on a historic visit, less than a month ago. They were good friends of Pakistan. Pakistan will observe a day of mourning and the flag will fly at half mast as a mark of respect for President Raisi and his companions and in solidarity with Brotherly Iran.”

European Council president Charles Michel posted on X: “The EU expresses its sincere condolences for the death of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian, as well as other members of their delegation and crew in a helicopter accident. Our thoughts go to the families.”

A Hamas statement conveyed Hamas’ “deepest condolences and solidarity” to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Iranian government, and the Iranian people for “this immense loss.”

It praised the deceased Iranian leaders for supporting the Palestinian cause and resistance against Israel and expressed confidence that Iran’s “deep-rooted institutions” will enable it to overcome “the repercussions of this great loss.”

Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, head of Yemen’s Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee, posted on X: “Our deepest condolences to the Iranian people, the Iranian leadership, and the families of President Raisi and the accompanying delegation on their reported martyrdom. We ask God to grant their families patience and solace. Verily we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. The Iranian people will remain adhering to the loyal leaders of their people, by God’s will.”

Lebanon’s Hezbollah expressed condolences to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for the death of President Raisi, a statement said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials in a helicopter crash, noting their shared commitment to bolstering ties.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said in a statement on social media.

Topics: Iran Ebrahim Raisi Hossein Amirabdollahian

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In Damascus meeting, US drops reward for arrest of Syria’s new leader

Updated 9 sec ago
AFP
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In Damascus meeting, US drops reward for arrest of Syria’s new leader

  • The United States agreed on those principles with top Arab and European diplomats as well as Turkiye during a meeting on December 14 in Aqaba, Jordan
Updated 9 sec ago
AFP

DAMASCUS: A senior US diplomat told Syria’s new leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Friday that Washington was scrapping a reward for his arrest, and welcomed “positive messages” from their talks including a promise to fight terrorism.
Barbara Leaf, Washington’s top diplomat for the Middle East, made the comments after her meeting with Sharaa in Damascus — the first formal mission to Syria’s capital by United States diplomats since the early days of Syria’s civil war.
The lightning offensive that toppled president Bashar Assad on December 8 was led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), which is rooted in Al-Qaeda’s Syria branch but has sought to moderate its image in recent years.
Leaf’s meeting with HTS chief Sharaa came despite Washington’s designation of his group as a terrorist organization.
“Based on our discussion, I told him we would not be pursuing the Rewards for Justice reward offer that has been in effect for some years,” Leaf told reporters after their talks.
She said “we welcomed positive messages” from Sharaa.
“We will be looking for progress on these principles and actions, not just words,” she said.
“I also communicated the importance of inclusion and broad consultation during this time of transition,” she said.
“We fully support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that results in an inclusive and representative government which respects the rights of all Syrians, including women, and Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious communities.”
The United States agreed on those principles with top Arab and European diplomats as well as Turkiye during a meeting on December 14 in Aqaba, Jordan.
A Syrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier confirmed to AFP that the US delegation had met with Sharaa.
“The meeting took place, and it was positive. And the results will be positive, God willing,” the official said.
The US delegation also included the US pointman on hostages, who has been seeking clues on missing Americans including Austin Tice, a journalist kidnapped in Syria in August 2012.
On Friday, the US embassy added on social media platform X that the US and Syrian sides also discussed “regional events, Syria’s intention to be a good neighbor and the importance of common efforts on terrorism.”

On a regional tour prior to the Aqaba talks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had stressed the need to prevent a resurgence of Daesh group (IS) jihadists.
The US military said on Friday its forces had killed an IS leader and another operative in Deir Ezzor province, part of escalated US military action against the group since Assad’s overthrow.
The embassy said Leaf also met with Syria’s White Helmet rescuers, civil society leaders, activists and others “to hear directly from them about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them.”
Below a photograph of Leaf and others with a memorial wreath, the US embassy said she had also commemorated the tens of thousands of people murdered, tortured, disappeared or detained under Assad.
“The US commitment to hold accountable those responsible for these atrocities is unwavering,” the embassy said.
Leaf denied that her press conference in Damascus had been canceled for security reasons, saying she was delayed by street celebrations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who backed Assad’s opponents, has stressed reconciliation and restoration of Syria’s territorial integrity and unity.
Turkiye has been putting pressure on Kurdish-led forces in Syria, and Erdogan said Friday it was time to destroy “terrorist” groups operating in the country, specifically IS and Kurdish fighters.
“Daesh, the PKK and their affiliates — which threaten the survival of Syria — must be eradicated,” he told journalists following a summit in Cairo, referring to IS and the Kurdistan Workers Party, respectively.
The autonomous administration in northeastern Syria is protected by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, mostly made up of the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Turkiye accuses the YPG of being a branch of the PKK, which both Washington and Ankara consider a terrorist group.
Kurdish leaders in Syria have welcomed Assad’s ouster and raised the three-star independence-era rebel flag, but many in the region fear continued attacks by Turkiye and allied fighters.
Leaf said Washington was urging a ceasefire between Turkish-backed forces and the SDF around the Kurdish-held Syrian border town of Kobani, also known as Ain Al-Arab.
On a visit to Ankara Friday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned of the dangers of any “escalation” of the fighting, saying: “Security, especially for Kurds, is essential for a free and secure future for Syria.”
Iran and Russia had long helped to prop up Assad, but on Friday Leaf said she expected Syria would completely end any role for Iran.
Amy Pope, the head of the UN migration agency, on Friday urged “the caretaker government to continue to empower and enable women, because they are going to be absolutely critical to the rebuilding of the country.”
Pope also called for the raft of international sanctions on Syria to be reassessed to help the country regain its footing.
Syria’s civil war killed more than 500,000 people and sparked an exodus of millions of refugees.
Since Assad’s departure, which sparked celebrations at home and abroad, rebels have thrown open prisons where tens of thousands of people were arbitrarily detained and tortured.
They have also located mass graves believed to hold some of the estimated 100,000 people who died or were killed in custody since 2011.

 

Topics: Fall of Assad Syria Ahmed Al-Sharaa

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Israel army says troops shot Syrian protester in leg

Updated 34 min 50 sec ago
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Israel army says troops shot Syrian protester in leg

  • Israeli forces have been operating in areas beyond the buffer zone in Syrian-controlled territory, the military has confirmed
Updated 34 min 50 sec ago
AFP

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said its forces shot a protester during a demonstration against the army’s activities in a village in southern Syria on Friday, injuring him in the leg.
Since Islamist-led rebels toppled Syrian president Bashar Assad on December 8 Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian military facilities in what it says is a bid to prevent them from falling into hostile hands.
In a move widely condemned internationally, Israel also sent troops into a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights, and beyond, calling it a defensive and temporary measure.
“During a protest against IDF’s activities in the area of Maariya in southern Syria, IDF (Israeli military) called on protesters to distance themselves from the troops,” the military told AFP.
The village is just outside the southern point of the UN-patrolled zone.
“After the troops identified a threat, they operated in accordance with standard operating procedures against the threat... The protester was shot in the leg,” the military said.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the Israeli troops were stationed at a barracks in the village.
“During a protest condemning the Israeli incursion, a young man was injured by Israeli forces’ gunfire in the village of Maariya, in the Daraa region,” the Observatory said.
Israeli forced from Al-Jazeera barracks “opened fire directly at the demonstrators,” wounding the man in the leg, it said.

A villager from Maariya told AFP that Israeli soldiers had been entering his village and other nearby villages in recent days.
“When the Israelis entered ... they sowed fear and horror among the people, the children, the women,” Ali Al-Khalaf, 52, told AFP.
“So much so that some people fled to other nearby villages. They (Israeli troops) entered the villages of Maariya, Aabdyn and Jamlah,” he added.
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security briefing atop a strategic Syrian mountain inside the UN-patrolled zone.
During the visit Netanyahu reviewed the army’s deployment in the area, his office said.
Hours after Assad was overthrown, Netanyahu had ordered Israeli troops to seize the buffer zone.
Israel has framed the move as temporary and defensive, with Netanyahu saying it was in response to a “vacuum on Israel’s border and in the buffer zone.”
Israeli forces have also been operating in areas beyond the buffer zone in Syrian-controlled territory, the military has confirmed.
Netanyahu said his country has “no interest in confronting Syria. Israel’s policy toward Syria will be determined by the evolving reality on the ground.”
Syria’s new leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa accused Israel of “a new unjustified escalation in the region” by entering the buffer zone but said “the general exhaustion in Syria after years of war” prevents it from entering new conflicts.
Israel conquered around two-thirds of the Golan during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later annexed it. The United States, during Donald Trump’s first term as president, is the only country that has recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan.
 

 

Topics: Fall of Assad Syria US

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All foreign forces must withdraw from Syria now, 50 UN experts say

Updated 20 December 2024
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All foreign forces must withdraw from Syria now, 50 UN experts say

  • Rehabilitation of the country should pay specific attention to the human rights of minorities, the marginalised and all who face discrimination
  • Justice for the victims of war crimes must be pursued through a credible judicial system focusing on accountability, reparations and reconciliation, not revenge
Updated 20 December 2024
Ephrem Kossaify

NEW YORK CITY: A group of 50 independent UN human rights experts have called on the international community to support Syria’s efforts to rebuild but stressed that the country must be free of foreign interference and aggression.

They emphasized the challenges posed by ongoing foreign military interventions, warning that such actions undermine the nation’s sovereignty and hinder the reconstruction process.

In particular they highlighted Israeli airstrikes and incursions into Syrian territory, particularly in the Golan Heights and northeast of the country, as significant obstacles to peace and stability.

“Syria has endured major foreign interventions, transforming the country into a battleground for proxy wars involving multiple actors, including private forces,” the experts said.

“The continuing military interventions, such as Israel’s unprovoked, illegal attacks and its occupation of more Syrian territory in the Golan Heights, and other air attacks and incursions into northeast and central Syria, put grave obstacles to the rehabilitation process and destabilize the region.”

The experts reiterated the call for all foreign occupying forces to immediately withdraw from Syria.

“While international support for Syria’s rebuilding is essential, the rehabilitation process must remain free of foreign interference or aggression,” they said. “All territorial incursions and attacks must cease without delay.”

The experts, who included the UN’s special rapporteurs on torture, arbitrary executions, freedom of opinion, trafficking in persons, and the protection of fundamental freedoms, also stressed the need for a Syrian-led political transition. They said this process must be inclusive, non-sectarian and take account of the interests of all elements of Syrian society.

Syrian insurgents seized control of Damascus on Dec. 8, forcing President Bashar Assad to flee the country after more than 13 years of civil war, ending his family’s 54-year rule. The rebels’ rapid advance, which took less than two weeks and met with minimal resistance, raised questions about the ability to ensure an orderly political transition in the aftermath.

“This is a watershed moment in the region’s history,” the experts said, pointing to the opportunity it offers for lasting peace, justice and the restoration of Syrian sovereignty. They called for full respect for the territorial integrity of the country, and stressed that ongoing

lawlessness, violence and persistent violations of international law, especially human rights and humanitarian law, must cease.

They urged the international community to collaborate on the rehabilitation of Syria based on democratic principles that respect the human rights of all Syrians, with a particular focus on minorities, marginalized groups, women, people who are vulnerable due to sexual orientation or gender identity, persons with disabilities, children, internally displaced persons, and returning refugees.

The experts also highlighted the urgent need to address widespread violations of human rights, including torture, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, unlawful killings and human trafficking. They emphasized the “paramount” need to pursue justice for all victims of such atrocities and called for the release of all individuals who were arbitrarily detained. Preserving evidence of gross violations of rights is also critical to help ensure accountability, they added.

“Justice must be pursued for all crimes, regardless of the perpetrator, through a credible judicial system focused on accountability, reparations and reconciliation, not revenge,” the experts said.

In line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which was adopted in 2015 and calls for a Syrian-led political transition and the establishment of a representative government, the experts stressed the importance of adopting a transparent, inclusive process to help establish peace and rebuild the country.

They also noted the severe environmental and infrastructural damage caused by the conflict, including the widespread destruction of housing that might potentially amount to domicide, the deliberate and systematic destruction of homes and living environments.

The experts called for the international community to provide substantial resources in support of humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts, focusing in particular on mitigating the environmental impacts of the war, including the safe removal of the toxic remnants of the conflict.

“Reconstruction must be carried out in a manner that respects human rights and ensures the safe, dignified return of refugees and displaced persons who wish to go home,” they said.

But they reiterated that no one, whether Syrian nationals or Palestinian refugees, should be forcibly returned to the country.

Furthermore, the experts called for women to have leadership roles in the peace-building and transitional process, and emphasized the need for gender equality and full protection of women’s rights.

They urged all states to repatriate their nationals from Syria and to provide effective protection for women and children who have been arbitrarily detained in northeastern Syria since the fall of Daesh in 2019. They called for the immediate lifting of international sanctions on Syria and urged all parties to prioritize the humanitarian needs of the Syrian population.

The experts expressed strong support for the Syrian people in their pursuit of a democratic and peaceful future, and stressed the importance of ensuring justice, inclusivity and respect for human rights in the country’s transition.

Topics: Fall of Assad Syria UN

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Macron sees new role for French military base in Djibouti

Updated 20 December 2024
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Macron sees new role for French military base in Djibouti

  • Macron was speaking after France was forced to pull troops out of several other African countries
Updated 20 December 2024
AFP

DJIBOUTI: French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday its military base in Djibouti could assume a greater role, speaking after Paris was forced to pull troops out of several other African countries.
“Our role is changing in Africa because the world is changing in Africa, because public opinion is changing, because governments are changing,” he said.
Macron was addressing French forces stationed at the strategic Horn of Africa nation before sitting down for a Christmas meal with the troops, a regular feature on the presidential calendar.
France had to change its past logic of having too many military bases in Africa, he said.
In recent years, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, all three under military rule, have told France to get its troops out.
They have turned instead to Russia for military support in their fight against the jihadist forces active in the region.
And on Friday, France also began withdrawing ground troops from Chad, after N’Djamena last month abruptly ended military cooperation with the former colonial power.
The central African country was the last Sahel nation to host French troops.
Its decision also came shortly after Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye told AFP in an interview that France should close its military bases there.
Djibouti has in the past been part of France’s Indo-Pacific strategy, contributing to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
“It is also, and will also have to be reinvented as, a projection point for some of our African missions,” Macron said, without elaborating.
The French base at Djibouti currently hosts 1,500 soldiers.
That makes it France’s largest military contingent abroad and the only one untouched by the military draw-down African nations have imposed on Paris.
In July, Djibouti and France renewed their defense cooperation treaty.
As well as paying rent for the base, France also assumes responsibility for patrolling the airspace over the country.
The small east African state is a relative haven of stability. On the other side of the Red Sea lies Yemen, gripped in a devastating civil war.

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American strike kills Daesh leader in Syria

Updated 20 December 2024
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American strike kills Daesh leader in Syria

  • The announcement of the latest strike came a day after the US said it had this year doubled the number of troops it has in Syria as part of the anti-IS fight
Updated 20 December 2024
AFP

WASHINGTON: American forces killed a Daesh leader and another of the group’s members in a strike in Syria, the US military said on Friday.
Washington has stepped up military action against the extremist group since the fall of Bashar Assad’s government earlier this month, hitting areas that were shielded by Syrian and Russian air defenses before a lightning offensive by rebels who now control the country.
The strike took place on Thursday in Deir Ezzor province in eastern Syria, killing Daesh leader “Abu Yusif” and another operative, the US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said on social media, without providing further details on the two terrorists. “This airstrike is part of CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks,” CENTCOM said.
The strike “was conducted in an area formerly controlled by the Syrian regime and Russians,” it added.
The US has for years carried out periodic strikes and raids to help prevent a resurgence of Daesh but has launched dozens of strikes since Assad’s fall.
On Dec. 8 — the day militants took the capital Damascus — Washington announced strikes on more than 75 Daesh targets that CENTCOM said were aimed at ensuring it “does not seek to take advantage of the current situation to reconstitute in central Syria.”
And on Monday, CENTCOM said US forces killed 12 extremists from the group in strikes it said were carried out “in former regime and Russian-controlled areas.”
The announcement of the latest strike came a day after the US said it had this year doubled the number of troops it has in Syria as part of the anti-IS fight.
The US had for years said it has some 900 military personnel in the country as part of international efforts against the extremist group, which seized swathes of territory there and in neighboring Iraq before being defeated by local forces backed by a US-led air campaign.
But there are now “approximately 2,000 US troops in Syria” and have been for at least a few months, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder told journalists, saying he had just received the updated figure.

 

Topics: Syria Daesh

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