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Gulf, Arab Leaders Express Condolences over the Death of Iran's President

FILE - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi delivers a speech after taking his oath as president in a ceremony at the parliament in Tehran, Iran on Aug. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
FILE - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi delivers a speech after taking his oath as president in a ceremony at the parliament in Tehran, Iran on Aug. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
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Gulf, Arab Leaders Express Condolences over the Death of Iran's President

FILE - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi delivers a speech after taking his oath as president in a ceremony at the parliament in Tehran, Iran on Aug. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
FILE - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi delivers a speech after taking his oath as president in a ceremony at the parliament in Tehran, Iran on Aug. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

Several Gulf and Arab leaders on Monday reacted to the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi who was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near Azerbaijan border.
Raisi, a hardliner long seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and the country’s foreign minister and others have been found dead at the site of a helicopter crash Monday after an hourslong search through a foggy, mountainous region of the country’s northwest, state media reported. Raisi was 63.
Several Arab leaders reacted to his death, the following are reactions to the news:
UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said in a statement: "Our hearts are with you in this difficult time. Our prayers are that God will cover them with His vast mercy and dwell them in His spacious Paradise”.
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani, said on X: "Sincere condolences to the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian, and the accompanying officials in the painful helicopter accident, asking God Almighty for mercy and forgiveness for them and for their families with patience and solace. We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return."
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-sudani said in a statement: “With profound sadness and deep sorrow, we received the tragic news of the passing of the President of Iran, Ibrahim Raisi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and their companions, due to the unfortunate plane crash incident in northern Iran.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, and to the nation of Iran, its government and people. We express our solidarity with the brotherly Iranian people and the officials of the Islamic Republic during this painful tragedy."
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad affirmed Syria's solidarity with Iran and the families of the dead, adding that Raisi's dedication to his work and duties had taken him to East Azerbaijan to inaugurate a vital project for his country, where he was martyred in the line of duty.
Assad added that Syria had worked with the late president to ensure strategic ties between Syria and Iran remained prosperous, recalling Raisi's important visit to Syria as part of enhancing ties for the benefit of both nations.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi mourned the death of Raisi and other senior officials in a helicopter crash. In a statement, Sisi expressed his country’s solidarity with “the leadership and people of Iran in this great loss.”
Jordan’s King Abdullah said on X: "My deepest condolences to the brothers, leadership, government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the death of Brother President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Brother Hossein Amir Abdullahian and those accompanying them, may God have mercy on them all.
"We stand in solidarity with our brothers in Iran in this difficult circumstance”.
The Palestinian Hamas movement conveyed “deepest condolences and solidarity" to Khamenei, the Iranian government, and the Iranian people for "this immense loss."
It praised the deceased Iranian leaders for supporting the Palestinian cause and resistance against Israel and expressed confidence that Iran's "deep-rooted institutions" will enable it to overcome "the repercussions of this great loss."
Head of Yemen’s Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Alo al-Houthi said on X platform: “Our deepest condolences to the Iranian people, the Iranian leadership, and the families of President Raisi and the accompanying delegation... We ask God to grant their families patience and solace. Verily we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. The Iranian people will remain adhering to the loyal leaders of their people, by God's will."
In a statement, Lebanon’s Hezbollah group also expressed condolences to Khamenei over the death of Raisi.
The country's foreign minister announced a three-day national mourning.

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International Coalition to End Mission in Iraq, Keep Going in Syria

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and US President Joe Biden meet in Washington. (AFP file photo)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and US President Joe Biden meet in Washington. (AFP file photo)
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International Coalition to End Mission in Iraq, Keep Going in Syria

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and US President Joe Biden meet in Washington. (AFP file photo)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and US President Joe Biden meet in Washington. (AFP file photo)

A US-led coalition's military mission in Iraq will end by September 2025 and there will be a transition to bilateral security partnerships, the United States and Iraq said in a joint statement on Friday.

The US has approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in neighboring Syria as part of the coalition formed in 2014 to combat ISIS as it rampaged through the two countries.

The joint statement provided few details, including how many US troops would leave Iraq and from which bases.

The announcement was a product of nine months of negotiations.

An Iraqi official said the coalition will maintain its mission in Syria.

Not a withdrawal

In a briefing with reporters on Friday, a senior US official said that the move was not a withdrawal and declined to say if any troops would even be leaving Iraq.

"I just want to foot stomp the fact that this is not a withdrawal. This is a transition. It's a transition from a coalition military mission to an expanded US-Iraqi bilateral security relationship," the official said according to Reuters.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani initiated talks with Washington in January on the change. He has said that, while he appreciates their help, US troops have become a magnet for instability, frequently targeted and responding with strikes often not coordinated with the Iraqi government.

Reuters has reported that the agreement would see hundreds of troops leave by September 2025, with the remainder departing by the end of 2026.

Under the plan, all coalition forces would leave the Ain al-Asad airbase in western Anbar province and significantly reduce their presence in Baghdad by September 2025.

US and other coalition troops are expected to remain in Erbil. Other nations, including Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, contribute hundreds of troops to the coalition.

The drawdown will mark a notable shift in Washington's military posture in the Middle East.

While primarily focused on countering ISIS, US officials acknowledge the US presence also serves as a strategic position against Iranian influence.

This position has grown more important as Israel and Iran escalate their regional confrontation, with US forces in Iraq shooting down rockets and drones fired towards Israel in recent months, according to US officials.

Sudani win

Sudani aide Hussein Allawi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the mission will completely end its mission in Iraq in 2026 and focus its operations in Syria.

The coalition, which helped Iraqi armed forces liberate provinces that terrorist groups had seized ten years ago, is no longer needed, he added.

The agreement will likely present a political win for Sudani as he balances Iraq's position as an ally of both Washington and Tehran.

An Iraqi political source told Asharq Al-Awsat is a victory for Sudani, who had for months insisted on the withdrawal despite Washington’s reservations and pressure from Iraqi armed factions that wanted to “violently” drive them out of the country.

Sudani put the finishing touches to the deal during his recent visit to New York where he attended the United Nations General Assembly, he revealed.

The announcement of the end of the mission is a political win at a very critical moment in the Middle East, he added.

However, a Shiite politician said the forces that are opposed to the American troop deployment are “wary of the vagueness of the announcement.”

The position of the armed forces will become clear at the appropriate time as they await the details of the plan to come to light and its implementation on the ground, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Iraqi circles have completely lost faith in the Americans, who at first may agree to Iraq’s request for them to leave, but may then place obstacles to renege on the deal, he went on to say.

The pro-Iran Kataib Hezbollah faction called on Sudani against rushing to announce the pullout of the forces.

In a statement, it said the timing of the announcement was “not right given the American’s involvement in the mass killing of children, women and innocents and the operations of betrayal in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria.”