Colombia mourns the death of the president of Iran and his Foreign Minister

The Government of Colombia, through a statement, regretted the death of the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, of Foreign Minister Hosein Amir Abdolahian, “and the other people “who lost their lives in the helicopter accident that occurred this Sunday, May 19, 2024 when they were returning from the city of Tabriz.”

>>> After the death of the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, five days of mourning are decreed in the country

“Colombia expresses its feelings of condolences for this tragic event and accompanies the families of the victims of this painful accident and the Iranian people in general,” he added in the text, joining several countries that have expressed their solidarity with Iran after the tragic death of Raisi.

Ali Khamenei, supreme leader, appointed the first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, as interim president, pending the holding of elections within a maximum period of 50 days.

Likewise, the negotiator of the Iranian nuclear program, Ali Bagheri, was named interim chancellor, after the death of Minister Hossein Amir Abdolahian, 60, who was also traveling on the plane.

On Tuesday, May 21, the funeral of the president-elect in 2021 will begin, and whose death at the age of 63 opens a period of political uncertainty in Iran, at a time when the region is shaken by the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, an ally of the Islamic Republic.

“The hard-working and tireless president of the Iranian people…has sacrificed his life for the nation,” the government said.

“The great spirit of the popular and revolutionary president of Iran has joined the supreme kingdom,” the official Irna news agency reported.

The Bell 212 helicopter in which Raisi was traveling disappeared on Sunday afternoon while flying over a mountainous region of Iran in difficult weather conditions, with rain and dense fog.

In addition to the president of Iran and the foreign minister, the plane also included the governor of the province of East Azerbaijan, the main imam of the region, the president’s security chief and three crew members.

This Monday, rescuers recovered the bodies of the passengers, who were taken to Tabriz, a large city in the northwest, the Red Crescent said.

The situation was closely followed by the international community, especially the United States, Russia, China and neighboring countries.

Several leaders sent messages of condolences, such as Indian Prime Minister Nerendra Modi, who on Monday said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of the Iranian president.

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin paid tribute to a “notable politician” and “true friend of Russia”, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad proclaimed his “solidarity” with Tehran, which supports him in the civil war in his country. .

Chinese President Xi Jinping called his death a “great loss to the Iranian people.”

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