President Expresses Condolences Following Death of Iran’s President Raisi

In a post on X, President Muizzu expressed his deep sorrow over 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, which carried Raisi, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan province, and other officials and bodyguards, crashed early Monday in a mountainous and forested area of East Azerbaijan province. Iranian state media reported that nine people died in the crash. No immediate cause for the crash was provided.

In response to the tragedy, President Muizzu declared 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 prominent figure in Iran’s conservative and hardline political factions, had been president for nearly three years and was expected to run for re-election next year. He was also considered a potential successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s 85-year-old supreme leader.

Under the Iranian Constitution, the vice president assumes the presidency upon the confirmed death of a president, and a new presidential election must be called within 50 days.