Syrian officials offer condolences over death of Rafsanjani at Iranian Embassy

Damascus, SANA – A number of Syrian officials offered on Tuesday condolences on the death of Iran’s Former President and Head of the Expediency Council Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani at the Iranian Embassy in Damascus.

The officials included Speaker of People’s Assembly Hadiyeh Abbas, Prime Minister Imad Khamis, Deputy Command-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces, Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Fahd Jassem al-Freij, Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed forces, Chief of Staff of the Army, Lt. Gen. Ali Abdullah Ayoub, Interior Minister Mohamed al-Shaar, Local Administration and Environment Minister Hussein Makhlouf, State Minister for National Reconciliation Affairs Ali Haidar, Assistant Regional Secretary of al-Baath Arab Socialist Party Hilal al-Hilal and other al-Baath Party officials.

A number of assistant ministers, religious figures and representatives of organizations, parties and a number of accredited ambassadors in Damascus also offered condolences.

The Iranian government announced three days of national mourning in honor of Ayatollah Rafsanjani, who died of a heart attack on Sunday at the age of 83.

M. al-Frieh/H. Said