In the eyes of the Biden administration, Ebrahim Raisi was a brutal tyrant, a sworn enemy and a threat to world peace.
But within hours of confirmation that Raisi, who had served for three years as Iran’s President, was killed in a weekend helicopter crash, the US state department announced its “official condolences” for his sudden death.
A terse statement, issued on Monday under the name of a state department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, betrayed no grief for the Iranian leader, who frequently railed at the US and is believed to have at least condoned attacks on US troops by Iranian-backed proxy forces in Iraq and Syria.
The statement drew swift outrage from vocal critics of Iran’s government, who argued variously that the US should say nothing at all or harshly condemn Raisi, something Miller proceeded to do later when questioned by reporters at a daily briefing.
It underscored the tightrope the US government must walk after a reviled foreign leader dies, as it balances the need for empathy for populations who may be in mourning against the need to speak the truth and clearly articulate American principles. It is a quandary that US officials have faced repeatedly over the years after the death of hostile dictators in places including the Soviet Union, North Korea and Venezuela, and have handled it in varying ways.
In the case of Raisi, Miller’s conspicuously wooden statement simply acknowledged the President’s demise before striking a political note that Iran’s political establishment would find anything but consoling.