Nuclear Alliance Organization: 'The Butcher of Tehran' Should Not Have Been Allowed Entry into the U.S.

Mark Wallace, CEO of the Nuclear Alliance Organization, stated on Friday regarding the harassment and threats against journalists by the entourage of Ebrahim Raisi at the sidelines of the 78th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York that 'the Butcher of Tehran' should not have been allowed entry into the U.S. He referred to Ebrahim Raisi as 'one of the violators of human rights and an active participant in international terrorism' and described the attack by his entourage on a journalist from Iran International as 'concerning.' Wallace pointed to the Islamic Republic's history of attempting kidnappings and assassinations of journalists on U.S. soil, stating that the behavior of Raisi's entourage is 'not surprising at all.' He specifically named Gholamhossein Esmaeili, former head of the Islamic Republic's prisons and under EU sanctions for human rights violations, Mojtaba Amini, one of the leaders of the group that occupied the British embassy in 2011 and producer of the series Gando, and Reza Naghipour, a former employee of the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence. Wallace recalled the threats against former and current U.S. officials by the Islamic Republic, asserting that Ebrahim Raisi should never have received a visa to enter the U.S. He added that the U.S. government, despite the UN headquarters agreement, has the right to prevent Raisi's entry and should deny him re-entry due to the behavior of his entourage. Previously, Republican Senator Joni Ernst criticized Raisi and his entourage's presence in the U.S., stating: 'The Butcher of Tehran is currently on U.S. soil with an approved visa while being on the U.S. sanctions list, traveling to New York and propagating at the UN.' Senator Ernst added during a weekly Senate press conference: 'We all remember September 11, the day our nation suffered the largest terrorist attack on its soil, but on this September 11, Joe Biden delivered $6 billion to the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world, thereby greenlighting violent activities and increasing the Islamic Republic's nuclear capabilities, putting more Americans at risk.' Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the UN, who moved towards Raisi holding a picture of Mahsa Amini during his speech and then left the hall, posted on his account on 'X' after displaying images of victims of the Islamic Republic in New York: 'The leaders of the Islamic Republic seek to suppress, starve, and kill their own people, export terror, and move towards producing nuclear weapons. Now the world must wake up and listen to the voices of vulnerable Iranians and hold this regime accountable for its crimes.' Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the State Department, emphasized during a press conference on Wednesday, September 13, in response to criticism regarding why Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage were allowed entry into the U.S., that it is a 'tradition of hosting foreign representatives—regardless of their countries' policies.' He also responded to concerns about 'unlimited movements of Islamic Republic diplomats in New York,' stating that there is currently no plan to reinstate previous restrictions. Reactions to Raisi's thanks to 'the Iranian embassy in New York': After 40 years, they still do not know. Raisi at the final station of his trip to the U.S.: The release of five American prisoners was a humanitarian act. Biden at the UN: We remain committed to preventing the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons. Raisi's speech at the UN; claim of 'miscalculation' by the West in last year's events in Iran. Request from the 'American Jewish Committee' to the UN to condemn the Islamic Republic. Increased criticism of Raisi's presence in New York; American senator called him 'the Butcher of Tehran.'