On Tuesday, James Kuriuki, the UK’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, joined his colleagues to observe a moment of silence for the late president.

The British diplomat stood alongside his American counterpart at the beginning of the 9,629th meeting of the Security Council, for the silence requested by Russia, China and Algeria.

Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, branded the period of silence a “disgrace”.

He wrote on social media: “The UN Security Council observed a moment of silence today in memory of the mass murdering Iranian president Raisi, who is responsible for the murder of thousands! What is next for the Security Council? A moment of silence on the anniversary of Hitler’s death?!

“The Security Council has simply become a danger to world peace.”

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former Cabinet minister, said: “Diplomacy is a matter of judgment. We have to talk to regimes we don’t like but that doesn’t mean we ought to honour them in death.”

A Foreign Office source said the moment of silence happened so quickly that Mr Kuriuki did not have time to consult London.