President Bola Tinubu has sent condolences to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials in a helicopter crash.
In the condolence message, issued by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Monday, President Tinubu also expressed grief over the disturbing tragedy, describing President Raisi as a leader who was passionately committed to the development of Iran.
While commiserating with the bereaved families, President Tinubu prayed for the continuous peace, stability, and prosperity of the Iranian nation.
President assured the Islamic Republic of Nigeria’s support and prayers in their moment of grief.
Rescuers on Monday found the helicopter that was carrying the Iranian president, as well as the country’s foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and 7 other senior officials after it crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran.
Hardliner Raisi became president in a historically uncompetitive election in 2021. Previously the chief justice, he oversaw a period of intensified repression of dissent in a nation convulsed by youth-led protests against clerical rule.
Raisi was the second-most powerful person in the Islamic Republic’s political structure after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini. The Iranian Constitution mandates that, in the case of the president’s death, the first vice president assumes office with the approval of the Supreme Leader.
Iran was thrown into uncertainty Sunday as search and rescue teams scoured a fog-shrouded mountain area after President Ebrahim Raisi’s helicopter went missing in what state media described as an “accident”.
