The Supreme Leader made the remarks in a meeting with the family of the martyred president on Wednesday night.  

The martyrdom of Mr. Raisi was a heavy and irreparable loss for the country, the Supreme Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei prayed for the soul of the martyred president to rest in peace, wishing patience for his bereaved family.

President Raisi was returning from a ceremony to inaugurate a dam on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan on Sunday when his helicopter crashed in Varzaqan, northwestern Iran, on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and a number of senior provincial officials were also on board the helicopter who were all martyred.