FILE - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, right, shakes hands with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh at his office in Tehran, Iran, March 27, 2024. AP
Hamas said it appreciated Raisi's "support for the Palestinian resistance, and tireless efforts in solidarity" with Palestinians since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza.
The group said it appreciated Raisi and Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who was also killed in the Sunday crash, for their "intensely political and diplomatic efforts to stop the Zionist aggression against our Palestinian people".
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah described Raisi as “a big brother to us, a strong supporter, and a staunch defender of our issues and the Arab nations’ issues, most notably Jerusalem and Palestine, and a protector of the resistance movements and those fighting on their behalf in all the positions of responsibility he held.”
A Houthi leader in Yemen also mourned the death of Raisi and other senior officials who were killed in a helicopter crash.
“Our deepest condolences to the Iranian people and the Iranian leadership and to the families of the president and the accompanying delegation,” Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis’ Supreme Revolutionary Committees. “The Iranian people will continue to have leaders loyal to their people, God willing.”
Iran is the main backer of the Houthis in their yearslong war against Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition.
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