High Commissioner Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri offers condolences to the government, people of Iran

Canberra: Pakistani High Commissioner to Australia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri this week offered condolences to the government and people of Iran over the tragic death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and others in a helicopter crash.

“Called on H.E. Ahmad Sadeghi @ahmad87051 Ambassador of Islamic Republic of Iran to Australia to convey our condolences and sympathies. The government and people of Pakistan stand in complete solidarity with Iran at this hour of grief,” he posted on X.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country’s foreign minister were found dead after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei named a vice president as caretaker. Iran has offered no cause for the crash nor suggested sabotage brought down the helicopter, which fell in mountainous terrain in a sudden, intense fog.

The crash comes as the Israel-Hamas war roils the region. Iran-backed Hamas led the attack that started the conflict, and Hezbollah, also supported by Tehran, has fired rockets at Israel. Last month, Iran launched its own unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel.