President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent a message of condolences to the people of Iran, following the passing of President Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and personnel.
They passed away on Sunday near Jolfa, a city on the border with Azerbaijan, about 600 kilometres north-west of the Iranian capital, Tehran.
On behalf of the government and people of South Africa, President Ramaphosa offers his deep condolences to the Supreme Leader of Iran, The Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, and the government and people of the Islamic Republic.
Our thoughts are with the families of the late President and Foreign Minister as well as the relatives of the personnel and air crew who perished,” said Ramaphosa.
Both countries enjoy good relations and Ramaphosa, in his capacity as Deputy President, paid a working visit to Iran in 2015.
Iran was last year admitted as an official member of the BRICS Plus group during a conference held in Johannesburg.
“This is an extraordinary, unthinkable tragedy that has claimed a remarkable leader of a nation with whom South Africa enjoys strong bilateral relations and whom we were honoured to welcome to the BRICS fold in Johannesburg in 2023.
Our hearts go out to the affected families and the administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
We join Iran in this moment of mourning,” added Ramaphosa.
Meanwhile, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, has also expressed her deepest sympathy and condolences to the Iranians, following the death of Raisi and her counterpart, Amir-Abdollahian.
Minister Pandor co-hosted together with the late Dr Amir Abdollahian the 15th Session of the Joint Commission of Cooperation between the Republic of South Africa and the Islamic Republic of Iran held in Pretoria on 10 August 2023 and the late Dr Amir Abdollahian also paid a courtesy call on President Ramaphosa on that occasion.
“The Ministers also met several times on the margins of multilateral forums, including during the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in 2023.
Minister Pandor remembers the late Dr Amir Abdollahian as a brilliant and astute counterpart whose presence will be deeply missed,” read a statement from Pandor’s office.
