The sudden death of Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi (pictured above), isn't likely to impact Iranian policy, says Florida Congressman Mike Waltz. Raisi, known as the "Butcher of Tehran" for murder and brutality against Iranian citizens – most notably young women protesting the wearing of hijabs – was confirmed dead Monday after a helicopter carrying Raisi and others crashed in the mountainous region of the country's northwest.
Iranian state television reported "no sign of life" at the crash site.
Three years ago, Amnesty International called for Raisi to be investigated for a continuous pattern of crimes against humanity:
"In 2018, our organization documented how Ebrahim Raisi had been a member of the 'death commission' which forcibly disappeared and extrajudicially executed in secret thousands of political dissidents in Evin and Gohardasht prisons near Tehran in 1988. The circumstances surrounding the fate of the victims and the whereabouts of their bodies are, to this day, systematically concealed by the Iranian authorities," Amnesty International wrote in a news release.
Israel quickly responded with "it wasn't us," and the U.S. quickly responded with condolences to Iran, a known sponsor of terrorism.
"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. As Iran selects a new president, we reaffirm our support for the Iranian people and their struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms," wrote State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Florida) reacted yesterday to that statement from Miller.
"I don't think anyone should be offering their condolences, certainly not the U.S. State Department or the NATO spokesperson. This man [Raisi] was known as the Butcher of Tehran. Some estimates have him responsible for as many as 20-30,000 deaths of political dissidents before he even became president. His security forces literally have murdered school girls in the streets, strung them up by cranes, made examples of them brutally for daring to protest wearing hijabs," Waltz said on Washington Watch Monday.
Waltz told show host Jody Hice that he expects Iran won't skip a beat in terms of treatment of its citizens and its own foreign policy. "This is an Islamic dictatorship under Ayatollah [Ali] Khamenei at the end of the day," he said.
The Times of Israel agrees but says Raisi's death could spark a fight for power within the Ayatollah's government.
Possible successor taken off the table
Raisi was considered a possible successor to the 85-year-old Khamenei, who assumed the role of Iran's Supreme Leader in 1989. The Times noted the difficult times with "multiple conflicts raging in the region," but said Khamenei has been and will continue to call the shots on foreign policy.
Waltz agrees but says the U.S. is missing a chance to show greater compassion for the Iranian people.
"It shouldn't surprise anyone, but the Biden administration is missing an opportunity to call out how brutal and murderous this regime is to its own people, to make a diplomatic and symbolic statement that says we stand with the plight of the oppressed Iranian people against their government that was led by Raisi," he said.
While he was in office, former U.S. President Donald Trump sought to curtail Iran's terrorist behavior with sanctions.
Hamas, which attacked Israel with a murderous rampage last Oct. 7, is a known beneficiary of Iran. So is Hezbollah, Israel's enemy to the north, and the Houthis, who continue to attack shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
Trump-era policies, quickly trashed by President Joe Biden, need to be revived, Waltz argued.
"The best way to help our ally Israel, the best way to stop suffering in Gaza, is to change policy on Iran and cut off their cash," said the Republican lawmaker. "Iran is solely responsible for the training, the resources, the military know-how behind Hamas, behind Hezbollah and behind the Houthis who are attacking shipping in the Red Sea.
Terrorism roads lead to Iran
"All roads go back to Iran – and if we shut off their oil, we shut off their cash, we shut down the resources, we go back to the maximum pressure under the Trump campaign and put them in economic survival mode," he said.
Waltz said the Biden administration's response to Iran mirrors the approach to land-grabbing Germany by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in the run-up to World War II.
"You see what we could and should be doing, but unfortunately, under this administration, you will see more appeasement, whether it's this president of Iran or the next," Waltz said.
