Pope Francis has sent a telegram of condolence to Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, following the death of the nation’s president and foreign minister in a helicopter crash.
The Pontiff wrote that he was “entrusting the souls of the deceased to the mercy of the Almighty, and with prayers for those who mourn their loss, especially their families, I send the assurance of spiritual closeness to the nation at this difficult time.”