Mick Hartley

So farewell then, the Butcher of Tehran:

The Islamic Republic's terror proxies Hamas and Hezbollah issued statements mourning Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials were also killed in the crash in the country’s northwestern East Azerbaijan province.

“These leaders supported the legitimate struggle of our people against the Zionist entity, provided valued support to the Palestinian resistance, and made tireless efforts in solidarity and support in all forums and fields for our people in the steadfast Gaza Strip during the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood,” Hamas said, referring to the war it launched on October  7 when it led an assault on the northwestern Negev, killing, wounding and kidnapping thousands of civilians and soldiers.

“They also made significant political and diplomatic efforts to stop the Zionist aggression against our Palestinian people,” the Muslim Brotherhood affiliate with close ties to the regime in Tehran added.

Hezbollah, Iran's terrorist proxy in Lebanon, eulogized Raisi as a "protector of resistance movements."

“Hezbollah in Lebanon extends its deepest condolences,” the group said, adding that the Iranian president was “a strong supporter, and a staunch defender of our causes … and a protector of the resistance movements.”

Raisi, known as the “Butcher of Tehran” for his role in the 1988 executions of 30,000 political prisoners, was elected president in 2021. The hardline leader has repeatedly called for the destruction of the State of Israel.

I trust the various Free Palestine student encampments will pause for a minute's silence in honour of the great man, who so ably embodied, and gave voice to, their own sentiments on the matter of the Zionist entity.

Israel has denied involvement – though I doubt it'll make much difference to the inevitable accusations.