President William Ruto on Monday mourned the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi as a fearless and dedicated leader who sought to elevate Iran’s standing globally.

In his message of condolence, on X formerly Twitter, Ruto stated that Kenya and Iran share cordial relations signified by the fact that in his first-ever trip to the African Continent as President, H.E. Ebrahim Raisi chose Kenya as his first destination.



Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has been confirmed dead alongside Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and seven others in a helicopter crash.

The Head of State was flying back from Azerbaijan when their chopper went down near Eastern the border.

Rescuers say they have found the badly damaged wreckage with no signs of survivors because it went up in flames on impact after a long night search hampered by bad weather.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for prayers to ensure no disruption in governance.

Rescuers led by the Red Crescent said that the entire cabin of the helicopter was significantly damaged and burned, with no signs of survivors on the site.

As per the Iranian Constitution, the first vice president will assume the functions of the president until an election is held within a maximum period of 50 days.