WASHINGTON – The Biden administration was slammed Monday for providing its sympathies to the Iranian individuals over the deaths of the oppressive theocracy’s president and overseas minister in a weekend helicopter crash.
“The USA expresses its official condolences for the demise of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, International Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and different members of their delegation in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran,” the State Division mentioned in an emailed assertion on Monday.
“As Iran selects a brand new president, we reaffirm our help for the Iranian individuals and their wrestle for human rights and elementary freedoms,” it added.
The supportive message repulsed many who comply with US-Iran relations, together with commentator Katie Pavlich, who mentioned the assertion “made no sense.”
“Expressing condolences for the person … who murdered and violently harassed the Iranian individuals, that State claims they help,” she wrote on X. “What?”
“There must be no phrase of sympathy from any member of the Biden administration for Raisi,” former Nationwide Safety Council official Richard Goldberg, now a senior adviser on the Basis for Protection of Democracies, instructed The Publish earlier than the State Division assertion got here out.
“If a mass assassin in the US died, nobody would challenge sympathy statements; they’d challenge statements of help for the victims. That’s precisely what we must be doing now.”
Across the similar time the State Division’s message went out, US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wooden stood to watch a second of silence for Raisi throughout a gathering of the UN Safety Council.
Israeli commentators had been aghast at Wooden’s motion, with analyst Eitan Fischberger calling it “profoundly shameful” and Ynet correspondent Emily Schrader declaring: “The UN is applauding modern-day Goebbels.”
About six hours earlier, NATO confronted fierce backlash on-line after posting an analogous message of sympathy.
“Our condolences to the individuals of #Iran for the demise of President Raisi, International Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and others who perished within the helicopter crash,” NATO Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah wrote on X.
The tone-deaf condolence obtained greater than 3,500 replies in English and Arabic from customers, a lot of whom demanded that Dakhallah be fired over the message.
“Are you kidding me? If that is an genuine NATO spokesperson account it raises critical questions on what NATO truly stands for,” wrote Christina Pushaw, former speedy response director for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential marketing campaign. “I say this as somebody who has supported NATO, typically.”
Former longtime CNN Pentagon reporter Barbara Starr was additionally incredulous, tagging NATO Secretary Common Jens Stoltenburg in her response: “Official @NATO condolences on demise of Raisi particularly? Actually? Full alliance consensus on this? @JensStoltenburg.”
To not be outdone, US Senate chaplain Barry Black opened Monday’s session by requesting divine intercession “for the Iranian individuals who mourn the demise of their president.”
Moments later, Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) delivered a pointed response.
“I too want to lengthen my condolences to the individuals of Iran for his or her lengthy struggling below the brutal, theocratic rule of the Islamic Republic,” he mentioned. “I believe an incredible many Iranians would fairly Western admirers cease lionizing a person often known as the ‘Butcher of Tehran’ for executing political prisoners. They could want that overseas leaders not additional legitimize the regime that actively represses all of them.”
As McConnell referenced, Raisi oversaw mass executions of political prisoners within the Eighties, in addition to the lethal 2022 crackdown on younger Iranians protesting towards the remedy of ladies within the Islamic Republic.
Within the hours after Raisi’s demise was confirmed, social media was flooded with movies of Iranians and members of the nation’s diaspora cheering and toasting the tyrant’s demise.
The crash’s trigger has but to be decided, although the Iranian authorities has denied involvement in orchestrating the deadly incident, and there was no intelligence to point foul play.
Iran has been a key participant within the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, an Iranian proxy terrorist group that killed greater than 1,200 individuals — together with 33 People — in a brutal assault on Oct. 7.
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