"India Stands With Iran": PM Modi Condoles President Ebrahim Raisi's Death

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a chopper crash on Sunday, and said that India stands with Iran in its "time of sorrow".

"Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic demise of Dr. Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His contribution to strengthening 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," he said in a post on X.

PM Modi had expressed "deep concern" when the Iranian leader's helicopter had gone missing, saying he was praying for the well-being of the president and his entourage which included Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. 

India on May 13 signed a 10-year contract to operate the strategic Iranian port of Chabahar that will help it expand trade with Central Asia.

The helicopter, which was part of a convoy, was carrying President Raisi and other senior leaders, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian. Contact with the aircraft was lost almost 30 minutes after it took off, reportedly after it experienced bad weather while crossing a mountainous region in the country's east Azerbaijan province.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar also condoled the death of the two Iranian leaders and recalled his meetings with them. "Deeply shocked to hear of the passing away of Iran's President Dr Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister H. Amir-Abdollahian in the helicopter crash. Recall my many meetings with them, most recently in January 2024. Our condolences to their families. We stand with the people of Iran at time of this tragedy," he said in a post on X.

Deeply shocked to hear of the passing away of Iran's President Dr Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister H. Amir-Abdollahian in the helicopter crash.

Recall my many meetings with them, most recently in January 2024.

Our condolences to their families. We stand with the people of…

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 20, 2024

The news of the Iranian President's death comes as tensions are rising in the region, particularly in light of the Gaza conflict and Iran's recent escalations with Israel.

President Raisi, who has been in office since 2021, had pledged Iran's steadfast support for Palestine, a stance reiterated during his recent dam inauguration speech.