Search form

You are here

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


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)
Short Url

https://arab.news/2tf68

Updated 20 May 2024
Arab News
Follow

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

Related

Update
Middle-East
Iran declares five days of mourning after President Raisi’s death
Middle-East
What we know about the fatal crash of the helicopter carrying Iran’s president?

Sultan of Oman, Russian president mark 40th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties

Updated 11 sec ago
Arab News
Follow

Sultan of Oman, Russian president mark 40th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties

  • Putin announced plans to stage summit with Arab League group of states later this year
  • Putin and Sultan Haitham welcomed establishment of Joint Economic Committee and the mutual exemption of entry visas
Updated 11 sec ago
Arab News

LONDON: Sultan Haitham bin Tariq became the first Omani head of state to visit Russia this week, discussing various regional and international topics with President Vladimir Putin.

During a meeting with Sultan Haitham at the Grand Hall of the Kremlin Palace on Tuesday, Putin announced plans to stage a summit with the Arab League group of states later this year.

"We plan to hold a summit between Russia and Arab countries this year," Putin told Sultan Haitham, who concluded late on Tuesday on a two-day visit to Russia.

"Many of our friends in the Arab world support this idea," he added, inviting Sultan Haitham to the summit without specifying the date and location.

Russia and Oman are marking the 40th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties.

Putin noted that Sultan Haitham was among the signatories of the agreement establishing diplomatic relations between Moscow and Muscat in 1985, according to the Oman News Agency.

The two leaders emphasized the importance of enhancing joint investment opportunities and improving communication between their countries, the ONA added.

Putin and Sultan Haitham welcomed the signing of several memoranda of understanding, the establishment of a Joint Economic Committee, and the mutual exemption of entry visas for citizens of both countries.

During their meeting, they stressed the need to create an independent Palestinian state. They affirmed their support for international efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and called for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and all other occupied Palestinian territories.

Topics: Oman Russia

Related

Middle-East
Oman, China discuss strategic relations in political, economic sectors
World
Russia and Arab League to hold summit this year: Putin

For Iraqi Christians, pope’s visit was a rare moment of hope

Updated 26 min 34 sec ago
AP
Follow

For Iraqi Christians, pope’s visit was a rare moment of hope

  • His 2021 visit to Iraq, the first ever by a pope, came after years of conflict and displacement
Updated 26 min 34 sec ago
AP

BAGHDAD: The death of Pope Francis has sent shockwaves through Iraq’s Christian community, where his presence once brought hope after one of the darkest chapters in the country’s recent history.

His 2021 visit to Iraq, the first ever by a pope, came after years of conflict and displacement. Just a few years before that, many Iraqi Christians had fled their homes as Daesh militants swept across the country.

Christian communities in Iraq, once numbering over a million, had already been reduced to a fraction of their former number by decades of conflict and mass emigration.

In Mosul, the site of some of the fiercest battles between Iraqi security forces and Daesh, Chaldean Archbishop Najeeb Moussa Michaeel recalled the pope’s visit to the battle-scarred city at a time when many visitors were still afraid to come as a moment of joy, “like a wedding for the people of Mosul.”

“He broke this barrier and stood firm in the devastated city of Mosul, proclaiming a message of love, brotherhood, and peaceful coexistence,” Michaeel said.

As Francis delivered a speech in the city’s Al-Midan area, which had been almost completely reduced to rubble, the archbishop said, he saw tears falling from the pope’s eyes.

Sa’dullah Rassam, who was among the Christians who fled from Mosul in 2014 in the face of the Daesh offensive, was also crying as he watched the pope leave the church in Midan that day.

Rassam had spent years displaced in Irbil, the seat of northern Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region, but was among the first Christians to return to Mosul, where he lives in a small house next to the church that Francis had visited.

As the pope’s convoy was leaving the church, Rassam stood outside watching.

“It was the best day of my life,” Rassam said. 

Topics: Pope Francis Iraq

Related

Middle-East
King Abdullah invited to attend Arab Summit in Baghdad as Jordan and Iraq discuss regional cooperation
Middle-East
Iraqi and Syrian leaders meet in Qatar, marking significant first encounter

Turkiye’s opposition set to defy protest ban on Wednesday

Updated 22 April 2025
AFP
Follow

Turkiye’s opposition set to defy protest ban on Wednesday

  • Ozel reiterated a call to stage the rally in a post on X late Tuesday despite a government banned on gatherings
  • “April 23 cannot be banned,” he said
Updated 22 April 2025
AFP

ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s opposition has called on supporters to rally outside the parliament in Ankara on Wednesday in defiance of an official ban on gatherings on a symbolic day for the republic.
A month after the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s biggest political rival — the president of Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) said he would speak outside parliament as the country marks National Sovereignty Day.
Ozgur Ozel, who was recently named as leader of the CHP, which was established by the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Ozel reiterated a call to stage the rally in a post on X late Tuesday despite a government banned on gatherings.
“April 23 cannot be banned. Our gathering in front of parliament and our march to Anitkabir (Ataturk’s Tomb) cannot be stopped,” he said.
“I invite all residents of Ankara, especially young people and students, and everyone who will be in Ankara tomorrow, to go to Parliament at 5:00 p.m. (1400 GMT), Turkish flags in hand. Sovereignty belongs to the nation.”
Imamoglu also referenced the rally from his cell at Silivri prison in Istanbul, where he has been held on corruption charges since March 25.
“I will watch this march for national sovereignty from prison. I will be at your sides. I will be marching with you,” Imamoglu said on X.
Imamoglu’s arrest has triggered a wave of protests in Turkiye’s main cities primarily driven by young people.

Topics: Turkiye Ekrem Imamoglu President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Protests

Related

Middle-East
Hundreds of thousands join Istanbul protest rally
Middle-East
Turkish protesters ‘face growing threat of police violence’

Israel shares, then deletes, condolences over pope’s death

Updated 22 April 2025
Reuters
Follow

Israel shares, then deletes, condolences over pope’s death

  • The foreign ministry said the pope had made 'statements against Israel' and that the social media post had been published in 'error'
  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads a far-right coalition of religious and nationalist parties, has not commented on the pope’s death
Updated 22 April 2025
Reuters

JERUSALEM: The Israeli government shared and then deleted a social media post offering condolences over the death of Pope Francis, without saying why, though an Israeli newspaper linked the decision to the late pontiff’s criticism of the war in Gaza.
The verified @Israel account had posted on Monday a message on social media platform X that read: “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing,” alongside an image of the pope visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem Post quoted officials at the foreign ministry as saying that the pope had made “statements against Israel” and that the social media post had been published in “error.”
The foreign ministry, which social media platform X states on its website is linked to the verified @Israel account, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, suggested last November that the global community should study whether Israel’s military campaign in Gaza constitutes a genocide of the Palestinian people, in some of his most explicit criticism yet of Israel’s conduct in its war with Hamas that began in Oct. 2023.
In January the pope also called the humanitarian situation in Gaza “shameful,” prompting criticism from Rome’s chief Jewish rabbi who accused Francis of “selective indignation.”
Israel says accusations of genocide in its Gaza campaign are baseless and that it is solely hunting down Hamas and other armed groups.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads a far-right coalition of religious and nationalist parties, has not commented on the pope’s death.
However, Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday sent a message of condolence to Christians in the Holy Land and around the world, describing Francis as “a man of deep faith and boundless compassion.”
Relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism have improved in recent decades, after centuries of animosity.
Pope Francis was usually careful during his 12-year pontificate about taking sides in conflicts, and he condemned the growth of antisemitic groups, while also speaking by phone with Gaza’s tiny Christian community every evening during the war.
Francis in 2014 visited the Western Wall — the most sacred prayer site in Judaism — and also prayed at a section of a wall built by Israel in the occupied West Bank dividing Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Topics: Pope Francis Israel

Related

Special
Middle-East
Arabs mourn death of Pope Francis, advocate of interfaith dialogue and human dignity
World
Who might succeed Pope Francis? Nine possible candidates

Detained Palestinian activist in Vermont prison says he’s ‘in good hands,’ focused on peacemaking

Updated 22 April 2025
AP
Follow

Detained Palestinian activist in Vermont prison says he’s ‘in good hands,’ focused on peacemaking

  • “I’m staying positive by reassuring myself in the ability of justice and the deep belief of democracy,” Mahdawi said
  • The US Justice Department has not said why he’s being detained
Updated 22 April 2025
AP

VERMONT, USA: A Palestinian man who led protests against the war in Gaza as a student at Columbia University and was recently arrested during an interview about finalizing his US citizenship says he’s “in good hands” at the Vermont prison where he is being held.
Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal permanent resident, was arrested April 14 in Colchester, Vermont. He met Monday with US Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont, a Democrat, who posted it on X.
“I’m staying positive by reassuring myself in the ability of justice and the deep belief of democracy,” Mahdawi said in Welch’s video. “This is the reason I wanted to become a citizen of this country, because I believe in the principles of this country.”
Welch’s office said Mahdawi was being detained at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, Vermont. His case is scheduled for a status conference Wednesday. His lawyers have called for his release.
The US Justice Department has not said why he’s being detained. The New York Times reported April 15 that Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote a memo that says Mahdawi’s activities could “potentially undermine” the Middle East peace process.
“We do not comment on on any ongoing litigation,” the State Department press office said in response to an email seeking comment.
Rubio has cited a rarely used statute to justify the deportation of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil. It gives Rubio power to deport those who pose “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
An immigration judge ruled April 11 that Khalil can be forced out of the country as a national security risk, after lawyers argued the legality of deporting the activist who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. His lawyers plan to appeal.
Mahdawi said that in studying for his citizenship test, he learned “that the freedom of speech and religion and assembly is guaranteed to everyone in the United States, which is part of the foundation of this country.”
Mahdawi said his work “has been centered on peacemaking.”
“My empathy, as I mentioned before, extends beyond the Palestinian people and my empathy extends to the Jews and to the Israelis,” he said. “And my hope and my dream is to see this conflict, if one might say, to see an end to the war, an end to the killing, to see a peaceful resolution between Palestinians and Israelis. How could this be a threat to anybody, except the war machine that is feeding this?”
Welch responded, “It would be good for everybody for us to have peace.”
Mahdawi said, “I want to tell everyone that I feel so loved and so supported. And I am here in good hands. I am centered, I am clear, I am grounded. And I don’t want you to worry about me.”
According to the court filing, Mahdawi was born in a refugee camp in the West Bank and moved to the United States in 2014. He recently completed coursework at Columbia and was expected to graduate in May before beginning a master’s degree program there in the fall.
As a student, Mahdawi was an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and organized campus protests until March 2024.

Topics: War on Gaza Mohsen Mahdawi US Columbia University

Related

World
Government given one day to produce evidence for deporting Columbia University protester Khalil
World
A Palestinian activist expecting a US citizenship interview is arrested instead by ICE in Vermont

Latest updates

Italy’s Serie A fixtures rescheduled due to Pope Francis’ funeral
Turkiye’s opposition set to defy protest ban on Wednesday
Alcaraz waiting on results from medical tests to see if he will play in Madrid
Pakistan, Turkiye demand immediate ceasefire in Gaza, separate state for Palestinians 
US Treasury secretary says trade war with China is not ‘sustainable’

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2025 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.