Biden administration draws ire for condolence statement on Ebrahim Raisi's death

The Biden administration expressed its official condolences for the sudden death of Ebrahim Raisi, who had served as Iran’s president for three years, after he was killed in a weekend helicopter crash.

Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesman, issued a terse statement on Monday, which initially did not express grief for Mr. Raisi. This drew swift outrage from vocal critics of Iran’s government and led to arguments that the United States should have either said nothing at all or harshly condemned Mr. Raisi.

Upon being questioned by reporters at a daily briefing, Mr. Miller proceeded to harshly condemn Mr. Raisi, in response to the swift outrage triggered by the initial statement.

The official condolences from the U.S. State Department for the death of Mr. Raisi, who was considered a brutal tyrant and a sworn enemy by the Biden administration, have stirred controversy over the appropriate response to the demise of the former Iranian leader.