Iran Condoles Death of Saudi King Abdullah


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Friday expressed condolences to the Saudi Arabian government and nation on death of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham announced that Iran’s top diplomat, Mohammad Javad Zarif, will travel to Saudi Arabia to attend on official ceremony for the King’s death due to be held on Saturday.

The Saudi King died in the early hours of Friday morning. He was 90.

Services will be held Friday afternoon at the Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in Riyadh, and many world leaders are likely to pay their respects.

Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz was appointed as the new king, Saudi state television reported.

The announcement of Abdullah's death comes several weeks after the state-run Saudi Press Agency said he was suffering from pneumonia and had been admitted to the hospital.