Foreign Officials in Iran to Pay Homage to Late President Raisi


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A host of foreign heads of state and authorities have traveled to Iran to pay tribute to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage, who passed away in a helicopter crash on May 19.

A formal commemorative ceremony was held in Tehran on Wednesday afternoon to pay tribute to the late president of Iran.

The officials attending the event include the leader of Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, and Deputy Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sheikh Naim Qassem.

Among the other authorities taking part in the commemorative service are prime minister of Armenia, prime minister of Iraq, chairman of the State Duma of Russia, president of Tunisia, vice president of India, president of Tajikistan, a high-ranking delegation of the Taliban, speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, prime minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, chairman of the parliament of Uzbekistan, foreign minister of Egypt, prime minister of Syria, foreign minister of Belarus, prime minister of Pakistan, president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, foreign minister of Turkey, emir of Qatar, chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, foreign minister of Serbia, and special representatives from Jordan, Oman and Nicaragua.

A helicopter carrying President Raisi and his entourage crashed in northwestern mountainous forests on Sunday.

The fatal accident happened as the president was returning from Khoda Afarin region in Iran’s northwestern province of East Azarbaijan after inaugurating a dam at the common border with the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The crash killed President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Friday prayers leader of Tabriz Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Al-e-Hashem, Governor of East Azarbaijan Malek Rahmati, the commander of the president’s security team, two pilots and a flight crew.