TEHRAN – A number of foreign officials has extended their condolences to the Iranian government and nation over the tragic air crash.

The officials include EU foreign policy chief, Tajik, Azerbaijani and Turkmen presidents, British foreign secretary, Turkish and German foreign ministers as well as Lebanese and Bahraini officials.
On Sunday, 78 passengers were killed and 33 were injured in the Iran Air Boeing 727 crash near the city of Urmia in northwestern Iran.
Chairman of Higher Shia Islamic Council Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan sent separate condolence messages to Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, offering his condolences over the air crash.
EU foreign policy chief Catherin Ashton also sent a letter to Iranian Acting Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, offering her sincere condolences to Iran over the incident.
“I was deeply saddened to hear about the tragic plane crash in your country on Sunday 9 January and the loss of life and injuries that it brought,” Ashton said in the letter.
“Please accept my sincere condolences. My thoughts and sympathy go out to the families and friends of the victims of this terrible incident,” she added.
Moreover, during separate phone conversations with Salehi, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle sympathized with the bereaved families.
Salehi and Westerwelle also exchanged views on international and bilateral issues.
In addition, British Foreign Secretary William Hague issued a statement, offering his condolences over the air crash.
“I was deeply saddened to hear of the crash of an Iran Air plane near Urmia on 9 January, resulting in the loss of many lives,” Hague said in the statement.
He added, “I would like to offer my sympathy to those who lost family members in the crash, and wish all those injured a swift and complete recovery.”
In separate messages to President Ahmadinejad, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymuhammedov, and Lebanese Socialist Progressive Party leader Walid Jounblat expressed their deep sympathy with the Iranian nation and government over the air crash.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Bahraini Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa also offered their condolences to the Iranian nation and government.
In addition Bahraini Parliament Speaker Khalifa Ahmad al-Zahrani sent a condolence message to Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani and wished speedy recovery for the injured