Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has sent a condolence letter on the event of the death of Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi.

Condolences

Raisi was involved in a helicopter crash on May 19, which took the lives of all onboard, including Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

Tharman sent a condolence letter, extending his deepest condolences to the people of Iran on behalf of Singaporeans on Raisi's "tragic demise".

Addressing Iran's acting president Mohammad Moukhber Dezfouli, he said:

"My heartfelt sympathies go out to President Raisi's family, as well as to the loved ones of all the other victims."

Raisi's helicopter crashed in adverse weather while carrying him back from a dam opening ceremony on the Iran-Azerbaijan border.

His death has come as a shock to his country, where he was a prominent figure, and was suggested as a possible heir to the current supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

International reaction and new elections

Leaders around the world, including China's president Xi Jinping and India's prime minister Narendra Modi likewise expressed their condolences and paid tribute to the part Raisi played in bilateral relations, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim posted on social media a picture taken in 2023 when he had met Raisi in person on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, saying that he represented a "deep commitment to the welfare of his people".

Iran has declared five days of mourning, with thousands taking to the streets to mourn his passing.

Thousands of people participated in the mourning service of the martyred Iranian President and his entourage in Tabriz, northwestern #Iran. pic.twitter.com/2GY7yyOj9O

— IRNA News Agency (@IrnaEnglish) May 21, 2024

Bloomberg reports that Iran will hold new elections on Jun. 28, adding that Khamenei would want Raisi's replacement to be of a similar temperament, with Bloomberg describing Raisi as a "ultraconservative cleric" and polarising figure.

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Top image via MCI/Ngau Kai Yan & IRNA/X