BBM extends sympathies over Raisi’s untimely death

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. extended his condolences to Iran after its President, Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

In a statement posted on social media platform X on Monday, Marcos conveyed his deepest sympathies and solidarity with the Iranian nation during their period of mourning.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the people and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially to the families and loved ones of the late President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and their companions in this tragic incident,” Marcos said.

“The Filipino people mourn with you and will keep you in our prayers during this difficult time,” he added.

Officials and state media in Iran said Raisi died in a helicopter crash in a mountainous region near the border with Azerbaijan. The charred wreckage was found early Monday morning after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.

Raisi, 63, was elected president in 2021 and since then had ordered stricter morality laws, led a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests, and pushed hard in nuclear talks with world powers.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds the ultimate authority in Iran, declared five days of mourning and instructed Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, 68, to assume interim duties ahead of elections within 50 days.

Earlier Monday, state TV announced that “the servant of the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, has achieved the highest level of martyrdom” and broadcast pictures from Raisi’s life as a voice recited from the Koran.

The ultraconservative Raisi had been in office since 2021, during a time that saw Iran rocked by mass protests, an economic crisis deepened by US sanctions, and armed exchanges with arch-enemy Israel.

Axis of Resistance

Condolences came in from Palestinian militant group Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and from Syria, all members of the so-called Axis of Resistance against Israel and its allies, at a time of high Middle East tensions over the Gaza war.

Khamenei had urged Iranians Sunday, as the search was ongoing, to “not worry” about the leadership of the Islamic republic, saying “there will be no disruption in the country’s work.”

Killed alongside Raisi were Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, known for his fierce anti-Israel sentiments and skepticism of the West, and seven others, including the pilot, bodyguards and political and religious officials.

Iranian authorities first raised the alarm on Sunday afternoon after they lost contact with Raisi’s helicopter as it flew through a fog-shrouded mountain area in the Jolfa region of East Azerbaijan province.

Raisi had earlier met with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on their common border to inaugurate a dam project.

On the return trip, only two of the three helicopters in his convoy landed in the city of Tabriz, setting off a massive search and rescue effort, with multiple foreign governments soon offering help.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi at first spoke of a “hard landing” and urged citizens to ignore hostile foreign media channels and get their information “only from state television.”

Army personnel, Revolutionary Guard and police officers joined the search as Red Crescent teams walked up a hill in the fog and rain as rows of emergency services vehicles waited nearby.