On December 28, a long-time friend of the Iranian people, United States Democratic Senator, Harry Reid passed away at the age of 82 from pancreatic cancer.
Born in 1939, Senator Reid was well educated, going on to study Political science and History at University. He later progressed to law school, serving as a police officer during his studies. After law school, he served as a city attorney until his career in politics took off in the late 1960s, which led to his eventual rise to the Senate in the mid-1980s.
He was a distinguished lawmaker and, on many occasions, supported the Iranian people and their Resistance.
Following Senator Reid’s passing on Tuesday, many messages of condolences poured in from those who knew him and respected him.
U.S. President Joe Biden referred to him as one of “the all-time great Senate Majority Leaders in our history.”
American television network CNN reported an obituary for Senator Reid, stating that from his humble beginnings in his hometown of Searchlight, Nevada, he rose ‘to become the most powerful politician in Nevada history’.
In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer described him as his leader, mentor, and one of his dearest friends. He said, “He’s gone but he will walk by the sides of many of us in the Senate every single day.”
"What we have going on in #Iran today is not going to last forever. Iran has a great heritage and past," said the late Senator Harry Reid at the #FreeIran2021 rally on July 12.
"I look forward to the day when the country of Iran has new leadership."#RIP @SenatorReid???? pic.twitter.com/aVHqnq6CuL
— Iran News Update (@IranNewsUpdate1) December 29, 2021
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said, “We will likely never see another public servant quite like him—in personality, command of strategy and tactics, and assuredness in marching to the beat of his drum.”
Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker within the Senate spoke of Senator Reid’s ‘immense courage and ferocious conviction. She said that his passion for his work was his drive to ‘achieve historic progress for the American people’.
Senator Reid voiced his support of the Iranian people in their quest for having a democratic country,” and, “condemned the Iranian regime’s use of violence against people on numerous occasions.
During the Iranian Resistance’s annual “Free Iran” summit in July of this year, Senator Reid sent a message to support the fight for freedom in Iran and expressed his hopes for Iran’s future.
In his message, he said, “What we have going on in Iran today is not going to last forever. I look forward to the day when Iran has new leadership, become part of the civilized nations of the world.”
