Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar departed for Tehran on Wednesday morning to attend the funeral of late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials who tragically perished in a helicopter crash. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed this in an official statement.
“VP Jagdeep Dhankhar embarks on a visit to Tehran to attend the official ceremony to pay condolences on the tragic demise of President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister H. Amir-Abdollahian, of Iran,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced in a post on X.
Mass Mourning in Iran
Thousands of Iranians took to the streets as the funeral ceremony for Raisi commenced on Friday in Tabriz, the north-western city near the crash site. The helicopter crash occurred on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of the high-ranking officials.
The Iranian government has declared Wednesday a public holiday. A funeral is set to be held in Tehran, with the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah leading prayers. Raisi’s body will be interred in his birthplace, Mashhad, on Thursday, as announced by Vice-President of the Republic, Mohsen Mansouri.
India’s Condolences
President of India, Droupadi Murmu, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended their condolences to the Iranian government and its people. “Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise of Dr. Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His contribution to strengthening the India-Iran bilateral relationship will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India stands with Iran in this time of sorrow,” PM Modi tweeted.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi on May 21 to convey India’s condolences. The Embassy has opened a condolence book for the public to pay tribute to the late President, Foreign Minister, and other officials.
National Mourning
India observed a day of national mourning on May 21 in honor of the deceased Iranian leaders. Additionally, Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei announced five days of mourning and declared a public holiday, closing offices across the country.
The tragic helicopter crash and the subsequent demise of President Raisi and other officials have led to significant outpourings of grief and solidarity between India and Iran, highlighting the deep ties and mutual respect shared by the two nations.