Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs
Prince Faisal bin Farhan made a phone call on Monday with Iran’s Acting Foreign
Minister Ali Bagheri Kani. During the call, Prince Faisal offered to Kani his
deep condolences and sincere sympathy over the death of Iranian President Dr.
Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and their accompanying
delegation in a helicopter crash on Sunday. The minister expressed the
Kingdom’s solidarity with the government and people of the Islamic Republic of
Iran
“The government of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern what was circulated in the media regarding the helicopter carrying Iran’s President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi and an accompanying delegation. At a time when we supplicate God Almighty to safeguard the president and those accompanying him with His protection and care, we reaffirm that Saudi Arabia stands by the sisterly Islamic Republic of Iran in these difficult circumstances,” the ministry said.
A helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has been involved in an accident, the Iranian state media reported earlier. Reports say the helicopter - one of three travelling in a convoy - made a “hard landing” after it got into difficulties in heavy fog in the north of the country.
Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said rescuers were still trying to reach the site due to the difficult weather conditions. Raisi was heading to the city of Tabriz, in the north west of Iran, after returning from an Iran-Azerbaijan border area, according to local media.
Pakistan mourns loss of great friend
ReplyDeletePresident Asif Ali Zardari “expressed profound shock and sorrow over the tragic death” of his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi.
In a statement issued by the president’s office, Zardari “emphasised that the Islamic World has lost a remarkable leader who always supported [the] Muslim cause and deeply felt the sufferings of the Muslims globally, particularly the Palestinian and Kashmiri people”.
“Today, Pakistan mourns the loss of a great friend. Just last month, we had the honour of hosting him in Pakistan. During our discussions, I found him very keen on strengthening our bilateral relations,” President Zardari said, recalling Raisi’s visit to Pakistan last month.
Highlighting that the Iranian president “always had a special place for Pakistan and its people”, Zardari said Raisi will be “dearly missed and fondly remembered in Iran, Pakistan, and the Islamic World for his efforts to enhance relations with regional and Islamic countries”.