Russia, China, Turkey Express Condolences over Death of Iranian President Raisi
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Xi Jinping of China, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey extended their condolences following the martyrdom of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in a helicopter crash.
Putin extended his deepest sympathies to the Iranian people after the tragic helicopter crash that killed President Raisi and several senior government officials.
"Please accept our sincere condolences regarding the immense tragedy that has befallen the Iranian people, resulting in the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and several other prominent officials," Putin stated.
"Ebrahim Raisi was an outstanding statesman who dedicated his life to serving his country. He was highly respected by his compatriots and held significant influence abroad," he added.
Putin noted Raisi's role as a true friend of Russia, emphasizing his valuable contributions to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry conveyed a message from President Xi Jinping, who also expressed condolences over the deaths of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian.
Xi's message extended sympathy to the Iranian government and people, highlighting the significant loss of two prominent leaders.
Erdogan also expressed his condolences to the Iranian people following the death of Raisi in the helicopter crash, Anadolu news agency reported. Erdogan pledged Turkey’s support during these difficult times.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also conveyed his condolences to Iran over this tragedy.
On Sunday evening, Turkey dispatched a drone to assist in the search and rescue operations for the helicopter carrying President Raisi, which crashed in Iran's northwestern province of East Azarbaijan earlier that day.
"Based on the request made by the Iranian authorities through the Foreign Ministry, an Akinci UAV and a Cougar-type helicopter with night vision capability were assigned to participate in the search and rescue activities of the crashed helicopter of the president of Iran and his delegation," the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The Turkish disaster management agency confirmed that Iran had requested a night vision search and rescue helicopter from Turkey following the accident.
Early Monday, it was confirmed that Raisi had been martyred in the crash. He was accompanied by Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the Friday prayers Imam of Tabriz, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati, who also perished in the crash.
Other victims included Maj. Gen. Seyed Mehdi Mousavi, head of the president’s security team, a member of the Ansar al-Mahdi Corps, the helicopter pilot and co-pilot, and a helicopter technician.
