Countries of the Middle East offer condolences over Iranian plane crash

Regional countries have offered condolences over the IranAir plane crash in Orumiyeh, which resulted in the death of at least 78 individuals, Iranian news agency Press TV reports. An IranAir Boeing 727 crashed on Sunday near Lake Orumiyeh, 700 kilometers northwest of the Iranian capital, Tehran.

In a message to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed his condolences to the Iranian nation on behalf of the government and people of Syria.

Uzbek President Islam Karimov also expressed his sympathies over the crash. "I was very saddened to hear of the large number of people who were killed in the air disaster near the city of Orumiyeh. In regards to this calamitous incident, in addition to expressing my sympathies to you sir, please convey my sincere condolences to the families of the victims of this incident," Mehr News Agency quoted the Uzbek president's statement as saying.

In a telephone conversation with acting Iranian foreign minister Ali-Akbar Salehi, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh conveyed Amman's deepest regrets over the incident to the government, people, and the families of the victims.