In a tragic turn of events, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri, has been appointed as the acting foreign minister after the untimely death of Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash.
The announcement of Bagheri’s appointment was made by government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi on state television.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority in Iran, declared five days of mourning and assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber, aged 68, to assume interim duties until elections are held within the next 50 days.
President Ebrahim Raisi and Amir-Abdollahian were tragically confirmed dead after search and rescue teams located their crashed helicopter in a foggy mountainous region in western Iran. This devastating news has plunged the Islamic Republic into mourning.
During his tenure as Iran’s top diplomat, Amir-Abdollahian made significant diplomatic efforts to end Iran’s isolation and mitigate the impact of the crippling US sanctions imposed due to Iran’s disputed nuclear program.
He particularly focused on establishing relations with Iran’s Arab neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, a Sunni Muslim powerhouse in the region.
In a groundbreaking agreement brokered by China, Tehran, and Riyadh agreed in March 2023 to restore diplomatic ties and reopen their respective embassies after a prolonged period of estrangement.
Amir-Abdollahian, born in Damghan, a city east of Tehran, in 1964, leaves behind a wife and two children.
He obtained a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Tehran in 1991 and later pursued a master’s degree and a doctorate in the same field.
