”A man who had a lot of blood on his hands,” – U.S reacts to Iran President death

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday; the crash, which occurred in a fog-shrouded mountainous area of northwestern Iran, also claimed the lives of Raisi’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and seven others. The wreckage was discovered on Monday morning.

The White House expressed condolences over the loss of life but made a controversial statement on his legacy.

This was a man who had a lot of blood on his hands,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, citing Raisi’s record of human rights abuses and his support for regional proxies, including Hamas.

Despite this, Kirby noted that the U.S. “regret[s] in general the loss of life.”

Iran has announced that presidential elections will be held on June 28. The election date was decided during a meeting of the heads of the judiciary, government, and parliament, with the Guardian Council’s initial agreement.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared five days of mourning, describing Raisi as a “sincere and valuable servant.” He appointed Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, 68, as interim president until the elections are conducted within the next 50 days.

Thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran’s Valiasr Square to mourn Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian. Funeral rites will begin on Tuesday in Tabriz, East Azerbaijan province before Raisi’s body is transported to Tehran for a funeral procession on Wednesday.

Raisi had been president since 2021, a period marked by significant unrest, economic challenges exacerbated by U.S. sanctions, and ongoing tensions with Israel.

Many had speculated that Raisi might eventually succeed Khamenei as Supreme Leader.

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