Vice President To Visit Tehran To Attend Iran President's Funeral Tomorrow

The funeral of Iran President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others killed in helicopter crash will be held tomorrow at Tehran University, in the capital city of Iran. 

India's vice president Jagdeep Dhankar will fly to Iran to attend the funeral of Raisi and others in the capital city. At Tehran university, the funeral will be led by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following which the procession will go to Maidan-e-Azadi (Azadi Square). 

The people of Tehran will pay tribute to Raisi, Hossein Amir Abdollahian and others. Ten and thousand of mourners have alreadt gathered, waving Iranian flags and portraits of the late president. 

The mourners marched in the northwestern city of Tabriz, where Raisi's helicopter had been headed when it crashed.

Ashraf Zaidi, an expert on Iran affairs, said that their bodies will be kept in The Sa'dabad Complex - the presidential complex - from 3 pm to 6 pm, where guests from other countries will pay their tributes.

On Thursday, people will pay homage to Raisi and others in Mashhad city. Later, in the evening, Raisi along with others will be laid to rest at the Shrine of Imam-e-Raza.

Raisi and Amir Abdollahian were among nine people who died after their helicopter crashed in Iran's mountainous northwest area while they were returning from the Azerbaijan border after flagging off joint projects in the region.

After the wreckage was found by rescuers, their bodies were first brought to Tabriz city, where thousands of people paid tribute. The bodies were later brought to the Holy Shrine of Masooma e Qum in Qum city for homage.

Many countries including India mourned Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi with several nations declaring state mourning. India also observed state mourning today, while national flag was flown at half mast on all government buildings including the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 

#WATCH | Delhi: National flag at Rashtrapati Bhavan flies at half-mast as one-day national mourning is being observed in the country following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister and other high-ranking officials in a helicopter crash. pic.twitter.com/xZZXGiCdpv

— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2024

Foreign minister S Jaishankar visited the Iranian embassy in Delhi  today to convey "deepest condolences on the tragic passing away of President Ebrahim Raisi and my colleague, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian."

Visited the Embassy of Iran in Delhi today to convey our deepest condolences on the tragic passing away of President Ebrahim Raisi and my colleague, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

They will always be remembered as friends of India who contributed immensely to the… pic.twitter.com/twLg2OXoFq

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 21, 2024

While one day state mourning was observed in Pakistan and Iraq, three days of national mourning was also declared in Syria and Lebanon, and five days in Iran.

Leaders who paid tributes 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, China's President Xi Jinping, King Salman and Mohammed bin Salman from Saudi Arabia, President Syria Bashar al-Assad including Iraq, Lebnon, Jordan, Egypt, European Union, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Qatar, Sudan, Turkey, Venezuela, Yemen, UN paid their tributes.

Religious leaders also paid tributes 

Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, the Pope and head of the Catholic Church, also sent a telegram message expressing his condolences on the deaths of Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, the country's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and all those killed in the May 19 helicopter crash. 

Senior Shia cleric in Iraq, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, also expressed "deep condolences" over the death of Iran president and others killed in the crash.

from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/tZa0jHT