Shafaq News/ The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, called for unity among nations on Tuesday during a memorial ceremony for the late Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, at the Iranian consulate in Erbil.
"We had expected to welcome the Iranian president to Erbil in a few days for his scheduled visit to Iraq. Unfortunately, this tragic incident led to the deaths of the president and the foreign minister," Barzani said in a statement to reporters during the event.
"We have come to offer our condolences to the leadership, government, and people of Iran through the Consulate of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he added. "We hope that such events can bring nations closer together, enabling us to build better relationships with one another."
Barzani emphasized the importance of solidarity in times of tragedy, expressing hope that this incident would catalyze strengthening of international relations.
"We stand with the people of Iran during this difficult time," Barzani said. "It is crucial that we use moments like these to foster unity and cooperation between our nations."
Raisi, a hardliner seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed when his helicopter crashed in poor weather in mountains near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said on Monday.
Supreme Leader Khamenei, who holds ultimate power with a final say on foreign policy and Iran's nuclear program, said First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, would take over as interim president, the official IRNA news agency reported.