The recent death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19 will not alter Tehran’s backing for Palestinian people, according to a foreign ministry spokesperson.
Despite Raisi’s death, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in the same crash, Tehran’s support for “the oppressed people of Palestine and resistance groups” in their fight against Israel will remain steadfast, stated Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani.
Kanaani affirmed that Iran’s efforts to lift sanctions will also continue unabated.
“There has been no change in the approach or the structure of our indirect talks [with the U.S.] within the framework of negotiations to remove unfair sanctions. We will continue diplomatic efforts within the same framework and with the same approach,” he emphasized.
Following Raisi’s death, leaders from Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other organizations gathered in Tehran to discuss ongoing jihad against Israel. The meeting aimed to reaffirm the commitment to “struggle until the complete victory of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza.”
Reports indicate that up to 500 associates of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad received training in Iran prior to the October 7 attack on Israel, with specialized exercises conducted in September.
The U.S. joined a minute of silence at the U.N. Security Council in memory of Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed official condolences from the Biden administration.
Meanwhile, Washington is reportedly hindering European efforts to pass a resolution against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with diplomatic sources citing difficulties in advancing the resolution ahead of the Board of Governors’ meeting in Vienna on June 3.