Jaishankar Pays Tribute To Raisi And Amir-Abdollahian As 'Friends Of India'

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will be remembered as "friends of India" who made significant contributions to bilateral ties, as stated by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday while conveying the government's condolences over their death in a helicopter crash.

The Iranian leaders were killed when their helicopter crashed in thick fog in East Azerbaijan province on Sunday, while they were travelling after the inauguration of a dam on the border with Azerbaijan.

Photo Credit: X

Jaishankar Pays Tribute To Raisi

The crash was attributed to a technical failure by Iran's state-run media. Tributes were paid to the Iranian leaders by Jaishankar when he visited the Iranian embassy to sign a condolence book. India declared a day of national mourning on Tuesday as a mark of respect for Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian, with the national flag flown at half-mast throughout the country.

"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," Jaishankar said in a post on X.

"They will always be remembered as friends of India who contributed immensely to the growth of the India-Iran relationship. Government of India stands in solidarity with the people of Iran at this very difficult time," he added.

During a public event on Monday, the contributions of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian towards finalizing a long-term agreement between India and Iran on Indian operations at Chabahar port were praised by Jaishankar. The pact was signed by the two countries on May 13, with India agreeing to invest $120 million to enhance operations at the port.

It was noted by Jaishankar that India had been attempting to secure an agreement with Iran on Chabahar for nearly 20 years, but only a short-term agreement had been reached due to various problems on the Iranian side.

"In recent months, thanks to the two individuals who unfortunately passed away yesterday in the helicopter crash, the president of Iran and the foreign minister of Iran, because of their interest and initiative, we were actually able to finalize a long-term agreement," he remarked, emphasizing the importance of connectivity corridors in the world.

The corridor, centred around Chabahar, will link Gujarat and Maharashtra in India to Iran, and then to Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Russia, and even northern Europe. It was stated that the agreement on Chabahar extends beyond just a port and is part of a connectivity chain that India is eager to advance.

On Monday, sorrow was expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other world leaders, over the death of Raisi, and his efforts to strengthen India-Iran relations were hailed. "Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise of Dr Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Modi wrote, extending heartfelt condolences to his family and the people of Iran. India was pledged to stand with Iran during this time of sorrow.