WORLD leaders including those in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed their sympathies as news of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s untimely death sent shockwaves to the international community.
News of his death spread across the world like wildfire.
Emirati leaders instructed the UAE Embassy in Iran to provide assistance and be prepared to provide support on search and rescue operations.
Following the news of Raisi’s death, high-ranking Emirati leaders such as the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as well as Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum extended their condolences and sympathies to the government of Iran and the grieving families.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared five days of mourning and appointed First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as the interim president until elections are held.
Other world leaders who extended sympathies were Russian President Vladimir Putin who praised the Iranian leader as an “outstanding politician,” and “a true friend of Russia.”
Meanwhile, China’s President Xi Jinping said that “the Chinese people have lost a good friend,” after Raisi’s death.
European Council President Charles Michel also expressed his sincere condolences on behalf of the European Union.
Before his death, the 63-year-old late president was projected to replace 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the Supreme Leader of Iran.
60-year-old Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian was among the casualties.
Raisi had been on his way back from Azerbaijan where he met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev during the inauguration of a joint border dam.
The helicopter carrying the late president and other officials was forced to make a “hard landing” due to heavy fog while passing through a mountainous terrain in northwest Iran near the Azerbaijan border on Sunday.
The U.S.-manufactured helicopter that transported Raisi is believed to have been decades old. The sanctions imposed by Washington about 45 years ago have made it difficult for the Islamic Republic to obtain new aircraft or aircraft parts. Iran witnessed more than 200 plane crashes and over 3,000 deaths since 1979, with either poor visibility or technical faults blamed for the accidents.
Israel denied involvement in the tragic incident amid escalating tensions with its archenemy.
