New Delhi [India], June 16 (ANI): Iran's Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi on Sunday extended wishes to the Indian government, and the people of India, on the occasion of Eid-al Adha on Sunday.
The Iranian Ambassador wished the Indian government and people of India, of all ethnicities and religions, especially "Muslim brothers and sisters."
"On behalf of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, my heartfelt congratulations to the esteemed Indian government and people of India, of all ethnicities and religions, particularly my dear Muslim brothers and sisters. On the occasion of Eid-al Adha, may you all be blessed with health, success and happiness," Elahi said in a video posted on X.
Eidul Adha, slated for June 17 following the sighting of the Zil Hajj moon on June 7, is a significant religious festival where Muslims commemorate Prophet Ibrahim's obedience to God by sacrificing animals.
The meat from these sacrifices is traditionally shared with family and the less fortunate.
The tradition, rooted in the story of Prophet Ibrahim, involves the sacrifice of animals over three days during Eid celebrations.
The Iranian Ambassador, in his video message, also extended congratulations on the successful conduct of the Lok Sabha Elections, and the formation of the new government of India.
"I congratulate the Indian government and its people for the successful conduct of the Lok Sabha elections and the formation of the new government of India. I am hopeful that under the continued leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the relations between our two nations will continue to strengthen during his third term," he said.
PM Modi took oath as Prime Minister of India for his third successive term on June 9 at an impressive ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan which was attended by leaders from India's neighbourhood and Indian Ocean region.
BJP-led NDA won a majority for the third time in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, winning 293 seats. BJP won 240 seats on its own, in the 543-member lower house, where the majority mark stands at 272.
Notably, PM Modi is only the third leader after Jawaharlal Nehru to take oath as PM for a third consecutive time.
Lauding India-Iran ties, Iraj Elahi said that both the countries have shared profound bonds, and have stood by each other at all times.
"Throughout history, Iran and India have been together, have shared profound bonds standing by each other, in times of both joy and sorrow. The unwavering support, and sympathy of the Indian government and the people of India following the martyrdom of our esteemed President and Minister of Foreign Affairs will forever be etched in the memory of the Iranian people," he said.
Iran is set to hold snap presidential elections in the country on June 28. Notably, the presidential elections in Iran were scheduled for 2025, however, due to Raisi's death on May 19 in a helicopter crash in north-western Iran, the election was moved up.
Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, was also killed, along with other Iranian officials, in the tragic crash.
The 63-year-old Raisi was a prominent figure in the succession planning for Iran's 85-year-old supreme leader and was predicted to win another term in office. (ANI)
