THE United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has extended heartfelt condolences to the people and Government of Iran, following the death of President Seyyed Raisi in a helicopter accident on Sunday, May 19.
The accident, which occurred in a mountainous region of northwestern Iran, also claimed the lives of Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and seven other passengers.
UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement on Monday, May 20, that the secretary general and members of the Security Council expressed sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Led by Pedro Comissário Afonso, the Permanent Representative of Mozambique and Council President for May, the ambassadors observed a moment of silence at the start of the body’s meeting.
Raisi’s funeral is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 21, and all cultural events in the country have been cancelled during what is now an official period of mourning.
Also, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, led a minute of silence in honour of those who died in the crash at a conference on nuclear security taking place in Vienna on Monday.
IAEA inspectors have been working with authorities for years at Iran’s nuclear sites to limit its capacity to purely civilian use.
