Iran: World reacts to death of Raisi

World leaders reacted to the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday, May 20, after the Republic’s leader died in a helicopter crash on Sunday. Also on board was Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other Iran officials.

Iran’s Gulf neighbors the United Arab Emirates and Qatar mourned the deaths of Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in the crash. The oil-rich UAE, which has mended ties with Tehran after years of rift, “stands in solidarity with Iran at this difficult time,” said Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the Iranian government and people over the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and those accompanying them following a tragic accident,” Sheikh Mohammed posted on social media platform X. In another statement on X, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, called the news “painful”, expressing his “sincere condolences to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have long had strained ties with Iran because of its nuclear program and support for militant groups across the region, but they have mended relations in recent times. In a dramatic shift, China brokered an agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March 2023 to restore diplomatic ties after a seven-year rupture. In June, Amir-Abdollahian visited the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman as part of a regional tour aimed at consolidating Tehran’s Gulf ties.

China’s President Xi Jinping said that the “tragic death” of Raisi in a helicopter crash was “a great loss to the Iranian people”, according to Beijing’s foreign ministry. “President Xi Jinping pointed out… His tragic death is a great loss to the Iranian people, and the Chinese people have lost a good friend,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press conference.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Raisi was an “outstanding” leader. The foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Raisi and his foreign minister, who also died in the crash, had been “true friends” of Moscow. “In Russia, President Raisi and Foreign Minister (Hossein) Amir-Abdollahian, were seen as true and reliable friends of our country,” Lavrov said, describing them as “patriots… who firmly defended the interests of their State and gave their lives in selfless service to the Motherland.”

Hamas praises ‘supporter’

Lebanon’s Tehran-backed Hezbollah group praised Raisi as a “protector” of anti-Israel groups in the region following the announcement of his death. “Hezbollah in Lebanon extends its deepest condolences,” the group said in a statement, adding that they knew Raisi “closely for a long time” and that he was “a strong supporter, and a staunch defender of our causes… and a protector of the resistance movements.”

The militant group Hamas expressed its condolences for the Iranian president, mourning an “honorable supporter” of the Tehran-backed Palestinian militant group. Hamas said it appreciated Raisi’s “support for the Palestinian resistance, and tireless efforts in solidarity” with Palestinians since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza following the group’s October 7 attack. The militant group said it appreciated Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian for their “intense political and diplomatic efforts to stop the Zionist [Israeli] aggression against our Palestinian people.”

EU’s thoughts ‘go to the families’

India, Pakistan, the European Union, and Russia were also quick to express their condolences over the death of the Iranian leader after state television confirmed his death. “My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, writing on X that he was “deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise” of Raisi.

India and Iran have had historically close relations, with the Islamic Republic a key oil supplier to the South Asian giant, which is now the world’s fifth-biggest economy, until US sanctions curtailed the trade. New Delhi has had to balance its ties with Tehran with its links to Washington – the United States and India are both members of the Quad security grouping – and its warming relationship with Israel.

The European Union’s Council President Charles Michel said the EU’s thoughts “go to the families” of those on board the helicopter.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed solidarity with his close ally, which has backed him during years of war. Assad “affirmed Syria’s solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran and with the families of the late deceased and his comrades,” the Syrian presidency said in a statement, adding: “We worked with the late president to ensure that strategic relations between Syria and Iran flourish always.”

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared a day of mourning. “Pakistan will observe a day of mourning and the flag will fly at half mast as a mark of respect for President Raisi and his companions and in solidarity with Brotherly Iran,” Shehbaz posted on X. The Pakistani leader hosted Raisi in Islamabad for a three-day visit in April in a bid to mend ties between the neighbors after they traded deadly strikes earlier this year.

Turkey said it was “deeply saddened” by the death of Raisi. Turkey “shares the pain of the friendly and brotherly Iranian people,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.