U.S. offers official condolences but condemns Raisi's legacy
The United States extends its "official condolences" following the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, announced State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby spoke in harsher terms. "Raisi had blood on his hands," he stated.
Matthew Miller indicated that the United States does not want anyone to die in circumstances like those of Raisi. He also emphasized that the president of Iran, who died in a helicopter crash, had "for nearly four decades been a brutal participant in the repression against the Iranian people."
"As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms," said the State Department spokesperson.
John Kirby, the spokesperson for the National Security Council, also spoke. "Without a doubt, this man had a lot of blood on his hands," he assessed. He added that the USA will continue to hold Iran accountable for its destabilizing actions in the region.
President of Iran is dead
Raisi died overnight from Sunday to Monday in a helicopter crash near Jolfa in Iran's East Azerbaijan province. The aircraft struck a mountainside in the fog and burned. Along with the president of Iran, seven other people were killed, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the representative of Iran's supreme leader in the province.
"After the crash, the Iranian government asked us for help; we confirmed that we would provide it, just as we would for any government in such circumstances. Ultimately, we could not provide this assistance mainly due to logistical reasons," said Matthew Miller at a Monday press conference.
Raisi, known for his ultra-conservative approach, was considered a protégé of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and a potential candidate to succeed him. Non-governmental organizations accused Raisi of human rights violations in 1988 when, as a prosecutor, he sentenced political prisoners and militants to death.
