TEHRAN - Iran's Acting Foreign Minister, Ali Baqeri Kani, met with former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi in Tehran on Monday night. Abdul-Mahdi had traveled to Iran to pay his respects to the late President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who lost their lives during a helicopter crash on May 19. 

In a post on his social media account, Baqeri described the meeting as "warm and friendly." He said that they discussed a wide range of international and regional issues, including the ongoing Israeli aggression in Palestine.

“I had a warm and friendly meeting with Adel Abdul-Mahdi, the former Prime Minister of Iraq who has traveled to Tehran to honor Iran’s martyred President and Foreign Minister. We discussed and exchanged views on a wide range of international and regional issues, including the crimes and genocide of the occupying regime in Palestine and the moral and humanitarian responsibilities of Islamic governments in this regard”, Baqeri wrote on X. 

According to a later report released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Baqeri and Abdul-Mahdi also discussed the importance of regional cooperation and the need to address common challenges.

The Iranian diplomat emphasized the role that West Asian elites can play in pressuring Israel to halt its crimes in Gaza. He also highlighted the contributions of the late President Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian, and Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in supporting the Axis of Resistance in the region while vowing that Tehran will continue to support resistance forces despite the loss of these prominent figures. 

The Iraqi government declared a national day of mourning on May 21 following the passing of Iranian President Raisi and his companions. Iraq’s President Mohammad Al-Sudani also traveled to Iran last week to offer his condolences over the tragedy. Several other high-ranking officials accompanied him to Tehran.