UPDATE - Arab leaders send condolences on death of Iranian president

By Mohammad Sio

UPDATES WITH REVISED HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; ADDS MESSAGES FROM EGYPT, JORDAN, LEBANON, HEZBOLLAH, HAMAS

ISTANBUL (AA) - Arab leaders on Monday extended their condolences to Tehran following the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir Abdullahian and other top officials in a helicopter crash.

Iraq early Monday extended its condolences.

“Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani expressed his deepest condolences to the Iranian government and its people over the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions in a helicopter crash,” the Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office said in a statement.

Egypt's President President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi also extended his condolences.

“The President expressed the solidarity of the Arab Republic of Egypt with the leadership and people of Iran during this tragic time,” a statement from his office said.

In a post on X, Jordanian King Abdullah II expressed his “deepest condolences to the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the passing of President Ibrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdollahian, and their accompanying officials.”

Lebanon declared nation-wide mourning with flags to be flown at half-mast for three days.

Hezbollah extended its “deepest condolences” on the deaths.

Hamas said in a statement that it “extend its sincere condolences, deep sympathy, and solidarity to the Supreme Leader and Commander of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian government, and the Iranian people, on the passing of President Raisi and his companions.”

Earlier on Monday, Tehran confirmed that Raisi, as well as Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials, died in a helicopter crash in the mountainous East Azerbaijan province on Sunday afternoon while returning from an inauguration and commissioning ceremony for two hydroelectric complexes on the Iran-Azerbaijan border.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio