The United Nations Security Council, including the United States, on Monday observed a minute of silence to mourn the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage who were killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday. The move irked Israel, which lashed out at the UN and called Raisi a "mass murderer."
The silence was observed after Pedro Comissario Afonso, UN ambassador for Mozambique, asked the Security Council members to stand up and remain silent "in remembrance of the loss of life in a crash of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ebrahim Raisi".
A profoundly shameful moment at the UN Security Council as the US ambassador stands for a moment of silence to honor the Butcher of Tehran pic.twitter.com/EA2U7oMmt0
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) May 20, 2024
However, Israel's UN envoy Gilad Erdan hit out at the move, calling it a disgrace.
In a post on X, Erdan said: "You saw correctly. The UN Security Council dedicated a moment of silence in memory of the mass murdering president of Iran, Raisi. What a disgrace," he said in a video message posted on X.
"This body, which makes no effort to free our hostages, tipped their heads today to a man who was responsible for the deaths of thousands in Iran, in Israel, and around the world."
"What’s next? A minute of silence on the anniversary of Hitler’s death? Erdan asks, charging that the UN Security Council has become "a danger to world peace."
US condolences
The US on Monday condoled the death of Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and the other members of their delegation killed in a helicopter crash over the weekend. But, the statement also took a dig at Raisi, for what the US says is his poor track record regarding human rights.
"As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
On the decision to offer official condolences, Miller said the US does not want to see anyone die under such circumstances. He added that the US believes Raisi was a "brutal participant in the repression of the Iranian people for nearly four decades."
"Some of the worst human rights abuses occurred during his tenure as president," Miller added.
