Zimbabwe to deepen ties with Iran

President Mnangagwa has affirmed that the fraternal relations between Zimbabwe and Iran will be deepened and consolidated for the mutual benefit of both nations.

The President expressed his condolences yesterday by signing the book of condolences for the late Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, who tragically died in a helicopter crash last Sunday.

Speaking to the media after signing the condolence book at the Iranian Embassy in Harare, President Mnangagwa remarked on the loss of a "brother," highlighting the close and brotherly relations they had developed over the years. This bond was further evidenced by President Raisi's historic State Visit to Zimbabwe in July of the previous year.

"As the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, representing the people of Zimbabwe, I express our deepest condolences on the passing of our dear brother, President Raisi, of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He was the last Iranian Head of State to visit Zimbabwe. The people of Zimbabwe, whom I represent, express our deepest condolences on the tragic passing of our dear brother, President Raisi. We wish that the warm and fraternal relations between our countries will continue and become even more comprehensive as we move forward," he said.

Addressing the inaugural National Assembly of the Zanu-PF War Veterans, Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees, and Restrictees League in Harare on Wednesday, President Mnangagwa stated that Zimbabwe had lost a "dependable ally and profound statesman."

"On behalf of our revolutionary mass party, Zanu-PF, the people, and the Government of Zimbabwe, and indeed on my own behalf, I express my heartfelt and deepest sympathies to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, as well as the people and Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the tragic death of His Excellency President Ebrahim Raisi. In him, Zimbabwe has lost a true and dependable ally, and a profound statesman who stood with us in rejecting the hegemonic and imperial tendencies of our detractors," he said.

President Mnangagwa emphasized that President Raisi's State Visit last year was significant and further strengthened the bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and Iran.

"Zimbabwe will always cherish the historic State Visit by the late President, His Excellency Raisi, last year in July. This visit broadened our cooperation and deepened our long-standing excellent bilateral relations. May his dear departed soul rest in eternal peace," he said.

President Raisi's aircraft crashed into a fog-shrouded mountainside in northwestern Iran as he was returning to Tehran after attending a ceremony on the border with Azerbaijan. The subsequent search and rescue operation involved assistance from Russia, the European Union (EU), and Turkey.