Antony Blinken claimed it was good that late Iranian leader can no longer engage in “horrible acts”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been forced to defend his department for offering condolences on behalf of Washington over the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, claiming it was just a formality.
In a brief statement on Monday, the US State Department expressed its “official condolences” over the deaths of Raisi and other Iranian officials – while making sure to reaffirm Washington’s “support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday, Blinken was grilled over the statement, with Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) claiming it was “shocking” that the US administration would mourn a “sworn enemy of the free world.”
“We expressed official condolences as we’ve done when countries – adversaries, enemies or not – have lost leaders,” Blinken explained. “It changes nothing about the fact that Mr. Raisi was engaged in reprehensible conduct, including repressing his own people for many years.”
WATCH: Under questioning from Sen. Ted Cruz, Biden Secretary of State Antony Blinken REFUSES to say whether or not it's disgraceful for the UN to fly their flag at half staff to mourn the death of the Butcher of Tehran, Ebrahim Raisi:
Cruz: "Would you agree it's disgraceful for… pic.twitter.com/DlZmEgckmU