The United States has decided to boycott a United Nations tribute scheduled for Thursday, honoring the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. 

The decision comes in the wake of Raisi’s untimely death earlier this month in a tragic helicopter crash. 

The U.N. General Assembly, comprising 193 member states, customarily convenes to pay homage to any world leader sitting head of state at their demise. 

________________________________________________________________________

• U.S. to boycott UN tribute to late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, citing human rights abuses during his tenure.

• Raisi, seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died in a helicopter crash on May 19

• The US decision highlights the complex relationship with Iran and ongoing concerns over human rights abuses in the country.

________________________________________________________________________

U.S. to Boycott U.N. Tribute for Iran’s Late President Ebrahim Raisi

The tribute for Raisi is set to include speeches commemorating his life and leadership. 

However, a U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, exclusively told Reuters, “We won’t attend this event in any capacity.”

The official cited Raisi’s alleged involvement in severe human rights violations as the primary reason for the boycott.

“The United Nations should be standing with the people of Iran, not memorializing their decades-long oppressor,” the official stated, adding that “Raisi was involved in numerous, horrific human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killings of thousands of political prisoners in 1988.”

The official further emphasized that “some of the worst human rights abuses on record, especially against the women and girls of Iran, took place during his tenure.” 

Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York has declined to comment on the matter.

Raisi, a hardliner who was considered a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, lost his life when his helicopter crashed in poor weather conditions near the Azerbaijan border on May 19. 

The U.N. Security Council observed a moment of silence on May 20 to remember the victims of the crash, with Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood reluctantly standing alongside his 14 counterparts.

The United States had previously expressed its “official condolences” for Raisi’s death through the State Department on May 20. 

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby also acknowledged that day, “No question this was a man who had a lot of blood on his hands.” 

The Biden administration faced strong criticism from some Republican members of Congress for offering condolences to Iran.

During his tenure as president in 2021, Raisi ordered a tightening of morality laws, oversaw a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests, and pushed hard in nuclear talks with world powers. 

His death at the age of 63 has left a significant void in Iran’s political landscape.

The U.S. decision to boycott the U.N. tribute to Raisi highlights the complex and often strained relationship between the United States and Iran, as well as the ongoing concerns over human rights abuses in the country. 

As the international community grapples with the loss of a controversial leader, the United States has chosen to take a firm stance in support of the Iranian people and against the memorialization of a figure they consider to be an oppressor.

Join our newsletter community and get the latest wealth building inspiration before it’s too late!