North Korea's Kim sends condolence message to Iran, KCNA says

SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a condolence message to Iran over the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, state media KCNA said on Tuesday (May 21).

In the message, Kim said the death of Raisi was a "great loss" to Iran and he hoped the bereaved families would recover as soon as possible.

He was "an outstanding statesman and a close friend" who made a "great contribution to the cause of the Iranian people for safeguarding the sovereignty, development and interests of their country and the gains of the Islamic revolution," Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA.

North Korea and Iran have close ties and are suspected of having co-operated on ballistic missile programmes, possibly exchanging technical expertise.

US says it was 'unable' to provide Iran assistance after helicopter crash