Dozens of leaders attend service in last respect for late Iran president Ebrahim Raisi

A state funeral for Iran’s late president, foreign minister and other officials was attended by several dozen leaders from across the world. The memorial service was held in Tehran on Wednesday.

Statesmen from the middle east and beyond included Tunisian President Kais Saied, Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The ceremony was held hours after hundreds of thousands of people took part in the funeral procession in the Iranian capital for Ebrahim Raisi and others killed in Sunday’s accident, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The deaths in the crash on Sunday comes at a politically sensitive moment for Iran, both at home and abroad.

Raisi, who was 63, had been discussed as a possible successor to Iran’s supreme leader, the 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

His remains will be interred in his hometown, Mashhad, in the northeast of the country.

Following the deadly helicopter crash, Iran has set June 28 as the next presidential election.