Maldives’ leader conveys condolences following death of Iran’s Raisi

Maldivian president Dr. Mohamed Muizzu extended condolences on Monday, after Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed to have died in a helicopter crash, along with several other Iranian officials.

In a post on X on Monday morning, the Maldivian leader said he was “deeply saddened” by Raisi’s untimely death.

“I pray to Almighty Allah to bless the souls of President Raisi, Foreign Minister Abdollahian, and others who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident and to grant them Jannatul Firdaus,” he wrote. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and people of Iran at this time of profound grief.”

The helicopter carrying Raisi, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan province, and other officials and bodyguards, crashed in a mountainous and forested area in the East Azerbaijan province on early Monday.

Iranian state media reported that total nine people died in the crash.

It gave no immediate cause for the crash.

President Muizzu has issued a directive, declaring that the Maldivian national flag would be flown at half-mast for three days, from Tuesday to Thursday, in mourning for the late Iranian president.

Raisi, 63, a figure representing conservative and hardline factions in Iranian politics, was president for nearly three years, and appeared on track to run for re-election next year.

He was touted as a potential successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 85-year-old supreme leader of Iran.

Under the Iranian Constitution, if a president is confirmed dead, Iran’s vice first president takes over, and a new presidential election would be called within 50 days.