“I don’t feel comfortable sending condolences while Iran is sending drones that are used against civilians in Ukraine,” he stated on social media.
The United Nations Security Council also honored Raisi on Monday with a moment of silence, following a request from Russia, China, and Algeria, according to Iran’s Permanent Mission to the U.N.
During a press briefing, Matthew Miller was questioned about the U.S.’s participation in the moment of silence.
“We have been quite clear that Ebrahim Raisi was a brutal participant in the repression of the Iranian people for nearly four decades. He was involved in numerous horrific human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killing of thousands of political prisoners in 1988. That said, we regret any loss of life. We don’t want to see anyone die in a helicopter crash. But that doesn’t change the reality of his record, both as a judge and as the president of Iran,” Miller explained.
The Iranian government expressed gratitude for the UNSC’s condolences. U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black also acknowledged Raisi’s death during his invocation, praying for the Iranian people who mourn the loss of their president.
