Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday that it was “business as usual” to express condolences to Iran over the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
The State Department issued a statement of condolence but did not mention Raisi’s brutal legacy, including the execution of thousands of political prisoners in the 1980s and the recent prosecution of pro-democracy activists.
Raisi is also considered a hardliner and has cracked down on protests by women, including Martha Amini, leading Breitbart News’ Frances Martel to write about dissidents caught on Iranian cameras. “Some of the most violent repressions ever occurred.”
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) asked Mr. Blinken about the State Department’s condolences, and Mr. Blinken said it was “business as usual” and would not change the facts about Raisi or change U.S. policy toward Iran. He said he had no intention of doing so.
Later, when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) followed up with questions about the State Department’s condolences, Blinken acknowledged that “the Iranian people are probably better off without me.” Asked if the State Department’s statement of condolences made that point, Mr. Blinken falsely claimed that it did.
Complete statement Continues below:
The United States publicly expresses condolences over the deaths of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir Abdullahian, and other members of the delegation in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran. As Iran elects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their fight for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Senator Barrasso said Raisi was “responsible for death, rape, and torture and is a mortal enemy of the free world.” He called Raisi “the butcher of Tehran” and said the State Department’s condolences were a “terrible mistake.”
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7pm to 10pm ET (4pm to 7pm PT) on SiriusXM Patriot. He is the author of a recently published e-book.The Zionist conspiracy (and how to join it)‘ is now available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
