World leaders offer condolences following death of Iran’s President Raisi

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said on Monday.

The following are reactions to the news:

SAUDI ARABIA: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia extended its condolences on Monday to Iran over the death of Iranian president in a helicopter crash.

King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman "offer their condolences to his excellency, the acting head of the executive authority, Mohammad Mokhber, on the death of his excellency Ebrahim Raisi, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and his companions," said a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

"Egypt mourns, with great sadness and grief" the Iranian president and Tehran's top diplomat, "who passed away on Sunday following a painful accident," the presidency said in a statement.

Sisi, who has drawn closer to normalising relations with regional powerhouse Iran in recent years, extended "his sincere condolences and sympathy" to the Iranian people.

He also expressed Cairo's "solidarity with the leadership and people of Iran in this terrible loss".

Fuelled by regional trends for de-escalation — including a surprise rapprochement last year between Iran and Saudi Arabia — Tehran and Cairo have sought to mend decades of strained ties.

Diplomatic exchanges between the two countries have increased in recent months since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

Sisi and Raisi met for the first time in November in Riyadh, and Raisi congratulated Sisi on his reelection the following month.

CHINA: President Xi Jinping on Monday paid tribute to Raisi, describing his "tragic death" in a helicopter crash as "a great loss to the Iranian people".

Raisi was declared dead on Monday after rescue teams found his crashed helicopter in a fog-shrouded western mountain region.

Xi sent "sincere condolences" to the Iran's first vice president, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing.

"(Raisi's) tragic death is a great loss to the Iranian people, and the Chinese people have lost a good friend," Wang quoted Xi as saying.

RUSSIA: President Vladimir Putin on Monday hailed Iranian President as an "outstanding politician" and said his death in a helicopter crash was an "irreplaceable loss."

"Raisi was an outstanding politician whose entire life was dedicated to serving his homeland," Putin said. "As a true friend of Russia, he made an invaluable personal contribution to the development of good-neighbourly relations between our countries."

INDIA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday he was "deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise" of Raisi in a helicopter crash.

"My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran," Modi posted on social media platform X. "India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow."

India and Iran have had historically close relations, with the Islamic Republic for many years 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.

PAKISTAN: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif declared a day of mourning after Iranian media reported that president had died in a helicopter crash.

"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," Shahbaz posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"I along with the government and people of Pakistan extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the Iranian nation on this terrible loss," he added.

"The great Iranian nation will overcome this tragedy with customary courage."

The Pakistani leader hosted Raisi in Islamabad for a three-day visit in April in a bid to mend ties between the neighbours after they traded deadly strikes earlier this year.

TURKEY: Turkey on Monday said it was "deeply saddened" by the death of Raisi in a helicopter crash.

Turkey "shares the pain of the friendly and brotherly Iranian people," Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.

MALAYSIA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Monday he was "deeply saddened" by the death of Iranian President and other officials in a helicopter crash, noting their shared commitment to strengthening ties.

"I am deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said in a statement on social media.

"We committed ourselves to bolstering Malaysia-Iran relations, working together for the betterment of our peoples and the Muslim world. Our pledge will be fulfilled."

LEBANON: Lebanon on Monday announced three days of national mourning for the Iranian president and foreign minister, who were killed in a helicopter crash overnight near the Azerbaijan border.

Agencies