JOHANNESBURG, May 20, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - South Africa's President Cyril
Ramaphosa, who recently invited Iran to join the BRICS group, expressed deep
regret Monday over the death of President Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi in a
helicopter crash.

"This is an extraordinary, unthinkable tragedy that has claimed a remarkable
leader of a nation with whom South Africa enjoys strong bilateral relations,"
Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa visited Iran as deputy president in 2015 and in 2023 welcomed Raisi
to a summit of the BRICS group in Johannesburg, where the Islamic republic
was formally invited to join.

Iran became a full member of the intergovernmental forum in January, along
with Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia and the
United Arab Emirates.