Iranian president’s death ‘loss to people aspiring justice,’ says North Korea’s Kim

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – North Korean leader Kim Jong-un Tuesday said the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was a “loss to people aspiring justice,” state media reported.

In a condolence message to Mohammad Mokhber, Iran's first vice president, Kim said: “The demise of the president is a great loss to the fraternal Iranian people and the world people aspiring after independence and justice.”

Raisi “was an outstanding statesman and a close friend” of North Korean people “who made a great contribution to the cause of the Iranian people for safeguarding the sovereignty, development and interests of their country and the gains of the Islamic revolution,” Kim said.

The North Korean leader said he was “convinced” that the Iranian government and people “would overcome the pain of the great loss and advance undauntedly and vigorously to build a strong and prosperous country.”

Iran on Monday declared that it would be holding an early presidential election on June 28 following the death of Raisi in a helicopter crash.

The announcement of the date for the country's 14th presidential elections came after a meeting between the heads of the judicial, executive and legislative authorities.

Candidate registrations will begin on May 30, the report said, adding that campaigning would take place on June 12-27.

Raisi was returning from the inauguration ceremony of a dam on the Iran-Azerbaijan border on Sunday when the crash took place, according to Iranian state broadcasters.

The crash also resulted in the deaths of Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, as well as that of Malik Rahmeti, the governor of East Azerbaijan province, and Imam Ayatollah Ali Hashim of Tabriz province.​​​​​​​

Mokhber, the first vice president, was appointed acting president Monday after Raisi's death.