Iran’s Larijani Condoles with Iraq over Chalabi’s Death
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran's parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, expressed his condolences Wednesday over the death of prominent Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi who died of a heart attack on Tuesday.
The veteran Iraqi politician, who was a vocal opponent of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, died of a heart attack in Iraqi capital Baghdad at the age of 70.
Expressing deep sorrow over the death of Chalabi, Larijani conveyed his condolences to the speaker and members of the Iraqi parliament, as well as “the brotherly country’s” nation and government.
The senior Iranian official also expressed sympathy with Chalabi’s family and friends.
Chalabi is survived by his wife Leila Osseiran, the daughter of the prominent Lebanese politician Adil Osseiran, and their four children.
Hailing the “influential and prominent” role Chalabi played in Iraq’s political scene, especially with regards to the overthrow of Saddam’s dictatorship in 2003, Larijani wished divine blessings and forgiveness for the late politician, and patience and comfort for his family and survivors.
Chalabi returned to his country after Saddam’s downfall following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. At one point his name was floated as a candidate for prime minister but he never managed to rise to the top of Iraq’s politics.
