On the same week in which a young Iranian Jew was sentenced to death for defending himself against a Muslim attacker, the helicopter carrying Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, 63, and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, 60, crashed on Sunday in the foggy mountains near the country’s border with Azerbaijan. After many hours of searching, their bodies were found along with those of two other passengers and two flight crew.
“With deep sorrow and regret, I have received the bitter news of the martyrdom of the people’s President, the competent, hard-working Haj Sayyid Ebrahim Raisi, and his esteemed entourage,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s Supreme Leader, wrote in a statement. “This bitter tragedy took place while he was serving the people.”
Raisi was a hardline Islamist and cleric, elected in 2021 with the blessing of Khamenei in an election that had the lowest voter turnout since the revolution of 1979, when the pro-western monarchy was overthrown by followers of Ayatollah Khomeini. Raisi’s career was built on the enforcement of Khomeini’s edicts.
Following a failed attack on Iran by leftist opponents in 1988, Raisi participated in a “death commission” that quickly executed nearly 10,000 people, most of them having been erstwhile supporters of the revolution but opposed to the religiosity of the government. For his role in the purge, he was dubbed the Butcher of Tehran, and promoted by Khomeini to serve as the capital city’s prosecutor general from 1989 and 1994.
In 2017, Raisi ran for president and lost to the relatively moderate Hassan Rohani, who signed the nuclear deal with western countries. Khamenei, the country’s second Supreme Leader, recognized in Raisi an uncompromising supporter who could enforce strict Islam on the population, cultivate ties with other totalitarian governments, and export the revolution by strengthening Hezbollah, the Assad regime in Syria, and the Houthi movement in Yemen, along with its longstanding support for Hamas.
In the aftermath of the discredited nuclear agreement, Raisi exported weapons to Russia for its war against Ukraine and expanded trade with China and India. He also made pragmatic decisions in his effort to isolate Israel and reduce American influence in the Middle East. He found common cause with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as they both supported Hamas and religious governance in their respective countries. He restored relations with Saudi Arabia despite its longstanding alliance with the US, and on the day of his death he met with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliev to celebrate the completion of a dam on their border, despite that country’s close relations with Israel.
By law, Raisi was subordinate to the Supreme Leader, who orchestrated his election by disqualifying candidates deemed as not supportive enough of his hardline policies. As a cleric, he was regarded as a potential successor to Khamenei, 85. Resembling a papal election, the Supreme Leader is a secretive affair in which a panel of high-ranking clerics makes the decision.
With this background in mind, it is baffling that leaders of democratic institutions offered assistance in searching for Raisi’s remains, followed by respectful statements after his death was announced.
“The United States expresses its official condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian, and other members of their delegation in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a briefing on Monday morning. “As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
In its summary of world leaders’ condolences, the government-run PressTV quoted only the first part of Miller’s statement.
Facing criticism from Republican lawmakers, Iranian exiles, and Jewish activists, Miller issued a clarification. “That said, we regret any loss of life. We don’t want to see anyone die in a helicopter crash. But that doesn’t change the reality of his record, both as a judge and president of Iran, the fact that he has blood on his hands.”
Across the Atlantic, Pope Francis offered “prayers for those who mourn their loss, especially their families. I send the assurance of spiritual closeness to the nation at this difficult time.” Perhaps more deserving of the pope’s prayers are Muslim converts to Christianity in Iran, who face imprisonment for leaving the official religion.
Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide tweeted that he was “shocked to hear of the passing of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian. Sending our condolences to the families of all the deceased in yesterday’s helicopter crash.” Last week he tweeted “love is love” in support of LGBTQ individuals. Empty words considering that in Iran homosexuality is punishable by death.
The NATO spokeswoman also issued condolences while the UN Security Council had a moment of silence for Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian.
“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,” Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan commented. “What’s next? A minute of silence on the anniversary of Hitler’s death?”
In a world that is wanting in moral leadership, notable exceptions should be pointed out. “I don’t feel comfortable sending condolences while Iran is sending drones that are used against civilians in Ukraine,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said.
As for the Jewish community, our prayers concerning Iran are with Arvin Netanel Ghahremani, 20, of Kermanshah, who is imprisoned with an uncertain date of execution; Levi Marhabi, 37, the last known Jew in Yemen who has been imprisoned by the Houthis since 2016; and the 128 hostages held by Hamas since October 7, whose fate has not been shared by their captors.
By Sergey Kadinsky
