The United States will boycott a United Nations ceremony honoring the late president of the Islamic Republic, Ebrahim Raisi, according to a report by Reuters.
"We won't attend this event in any capacity," a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the news outlet.
"The United Nations should be standing with the people of Iran, not memorializing their decades-long oppressor," the source continued.
The comments come as U.S. Deputy U.N. Ambassador Robert Wood was seen standing at a moment of silence for the deceased autocrat during a Security Council meeting on May 20.
The Thursday event will be held during a General Assembly session, where representatives of member states are expected to deliver speeches about the former leader of the regime in Tehran. The tribute is a customary practice for heads of state who die while in office.
Raisi, a hardline cleric, was killed on May 19 when a government helicopter that he was traveling on crashed in inclement weather. There were no survivors of the accident.
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