KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan expressed his condolences over the passing of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, his counterpart Dr Hossein Amirabdollahian, and their delegation in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain on Sunday.
In a post on Facebook, Mohamad said it was a great loss in the world of Islamic leadership and to the Iranian people.
"My prayers are that the souls of those who have passed away are showered with His mercy and placed among the believers and the righteous. Al-Fatihah."
In the post, Mohamad also shared that his last meeting with Hossein was during the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Ministerial-Level Open Debate in the United States last January, as well as a phone conversation with him last month.
"The late Hossein was a visionary in efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between Malaysia and Iran in various mutually beneficial fields," he said.
An Iranian official told Reuters that Ebrahim and Hossein died when their helicopter crashed as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog.
"President Raisi's helicopter was completely burned in the crash. Unfortunately, all passengers are feared dead," the official told Reuters.