United States Issues Condolences To Iran After President’s Death

The Biden administration formally extended sympathies to the Iranian government after the death of the country’s president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash over the weekend. The decision as the deputy ambassador to the United Nations stood for a moment of silence for the fallen leader.

The U.S. State Department extended “official condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.”

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller did cite alleged human rights abuses conducted during Raisi’s time in office. He said that there were particular “abuses against the women and girls of Iran.”

“That said, we regret any loss of life. You don’t want to see anyone die in a helicopter crash,” he said.

Following the Official Death Announcements of both Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian; the Cabinet of Iran has Convened a Meeting, with the Chair Seat which is usually occurred by the President now having a Black Sash draped across it… pic.twitter.com/cYu3fCKEOu

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 20, 2024

United States Deputy Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood also stood for a moment of silence for the deceased leader. The moment of silence was requested by several nations, including Russia and China.

The moment of silence came despite a strong condemnation from the Israeli ambassador to the U.N.

Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in the country’s north on Sunday, alongside Iran’s foreign minister and one of the nation’s provincial governors. The helicopter was flying through a mountainous area with poor visibility.

Despite the position Raisi held, he did not have as much power as the country’s religious Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Still, Raisi had a reputation of his own, including playing a major role in the crackdown on student and women’s protests in the country. Forces under Raisi’s command killed or wounded hundreds of protesters since he was elected president in 2021.

The death of the Iranian leader also kicks off a special election in the country to choose a new president. The vote is planned for June after candidates receive approval from a religious council.

Much of the world responded with shock to the death of the Iranian leader, including Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to the funeral on Wednesday. The terrorist group Hamas expressed its sympathy to Iran after the death.