As Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash, US Republican Senator Rick Scott said the world is a "safer and better place" without him.
"If Raisi is dead, the world is now a safer & better place. That evil man was a tyrant & terrorist. He was not loved or respected & he will be missed by no one," Rick Scott wrote on X on Monday (20 May).
"If he's gone, I truly hope the Iranian people have the chance to take their country back from murderous dictators," he added.
Senator Scott's comments stand in stark contrast with the numerous foreign officials and countries expressing condolences over Raisi's death, including many US allies in the Middle East.
As confirmed by officials and state media, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, along with other passengers, were killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border.
Their remains were found early on Monday after an overnight search in blizzard conditions.
State TV reported that images from the site showed the aircraft slammed into a mountain peak, although there was no official word on the cause of the crash.
