After the martyrdom of President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani expressed his condolences in a meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei on behalf of the government and nation of Qatar.
Ayatollah Khamenei thanked the Qatar emir and nation for their sympathy in the recent tragedy and emphasized the need to continue cooperation between the two countries for progress.
He described the loss of President Raisi as difficult, but assured that the country's movement would continue and the relationship between Iran and Qatar would remain strong.
In light of the regional conditions and enemies' attempts to undermine stability and peace, he emphasized that the only viable path for the countries in the region is to pursue cooperation and unity.
Al Thani, for his part, offered condolences on the passing of the late president and his entourage, saying that the relations between Iran and Qatar have always been strong and this path will continue.
The only way to address regional threats is through the cooperation and solidarity of neighboring countries, he stated, adding, "There are no limits to expanding our relations with Iran."
Also, Prime Minister of Tunisia Ahmed Hachani met with the Supreme Leader and extended his condolences over the martyrdom of President Raisi and his accompanying delegation.
In a separate meeting on Wednesday, Ayatollah Khamenei received the Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon, Nabih Berri, in Tehran.
While thanking the Lebanese government and people's sympathy with Iranians in the recent helicopter crash, the Supreme Leader underlined that the declaration of public mourning in Lebanon indicates the full cooperation of the two countries.
He described the recent incident as the loss of a prominent figure, pointing out that this is difficult for Iranians. However, he expressed confidence that the Iranian nation will use this bitter event as an opportunity, just as it has been done in the past years with difficult events.
Referring to the Gaza war, he emphasized that Lebanon's entry into the recent war in Palestine and Gaza had a profound impact, and if this had not been done, it would certainly have caused the greatest damage to Lebanon itself.
Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday that relations between Iran and Pakistan have seen ups and downs in recent years although he insisted there is an opportunity for a new upgrading of bilateral relations with a new government in office in Pakistan.
“Relations with Pakistan matters significantly to the Islamic Republic of Iran as it is considered a brotherly country,” he said in the meeting.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the recent trip by late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Pakistan can be a turning point in bilateral relations, adding that the current head of the Iranian Executive Mohammad Mokhber will pursue the path of cooperation and agreements between the two countries.
He said that friendly relations between brotherly countries won’t always progress easily as he called for obstacles in ties between Iran and Pakistan to be overcome through more seriousness in efforts aimed at expanding bilateral relations.
For his part, Sharif described late president Raisi’s visit to Pakistan as very helpful in efforts to expand relations between Iran and Pakistan.
The Pakistani prime minister, who arrived in Tehran earlier on Wednesday to attend president Raisi’s funeral, expressed hope that bilateral relations between Iran and Pakistan could further expand in the future.
IRNA