EU sends its ‘sincere condolences’ to Iran

Oh dear. It seems that the Eurocrats of Brussels have blundered again. Following the news of the Iranian president’s death, most western governments have chosen to keep a dignified silence. Hardly a surprise, perhaps, given that President Raisi was, in the words of Sky News, the ‘man who launched the first direct attack on Israel in his country’s history and a hardliner on whose watch hundreds of Iranians have been killed in the brutal repression of recent women-led protests.’

Not necessarily the kind of person who necessarily inspires the warmest of tributes from self-described democrats then. So it was to some surprise that Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, has used this occasion to issue a heartfelt tribute to the man known as the ‘Butcher of Tehran.’ Michel claimed to be speaking for 450 million Europeans on Twitter/X when he wrote this morning that:

The EU expresses its sincere condolences for the death of President Raisi and Foreign Minister Abdollahian, as well as other members of their delegation and crew in a helicopter accident.