Tasnim � Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif offered condolences to Tunisia over the death of the North African country�s President Beji Caid Essebsi.


In a message to his Tunisian counterpart Khamis al-Jahnawi on Thursday, Zarif said he was saddened by the news of death of Essebsi, �who was elected president in a free election by the great Tunisian nation.�

�I offer my condolences to his family and to the friend and brother nation and government of the Republic of Tunisia, pray God to have mercy on the deceased�s soul, and emphasize that the Islamic Republic of Iran stands and sympathizes with the Republic of Tunisia�s government and nation,� the top Iranian diplomat added.

Known as one of the world�s oldest leaders, Essebsi died at the age of 92 at the Tunis military hospital on Thursday morning.

The North African country�s first democratically elected leader was hospitalized with a severe illness in late June, but returned to intensive care on Thursday.