Top Kurdistan Region delegation to attend Raisi’s funeral

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdistan Region delegation, which includes President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, is set to visit Iran to pay their respects at the state funeral for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other top officials killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, according to the Kurdistan Region Presidency.

The Kurdish presidency said in a statement that the delegation also includes Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, Vice President Mustafa Said Qadir and Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed. 

It did not elaborate when the delegation will make the visit but the event is set to take place on Wednesday.

Raisi and several top Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, were killed on Sunday after their helicopter crashed in a rugged region in East Azerbaijan province. 

The crash occurred in a mountainous area with dense fog and bad weather conditions after the delegation returned from the inauguration ceremony of a dam jointly built by Iran and Azerbaijan. The death of the officials was confirmed after rescue teams found the crashed chopper early Monday.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday assigned Vice President Mohammed Mokhber to assume interim duties until a new election to replace Raisi is held within 50 days.  

President Barzani made a three-day visit to Tehran earlier this month, normalizing Erbil-Tehran ties which were harmed in January after Iran attacked the Kurdish capital with missiles on the grounds of the presence of Mossad bases - a claim vehemently denied by the Kurdish officials. 

Prime Minister Barzani on Tuesday visited the Iranian consulate in Erbil to offer his condolences for the death of Raisi and members of his entourage.