In 1976, it all began with a phone call at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On one end was Martyr Soleimani, and the discussion revolved around Iraq issues. When the expert from the Iraq desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs answered the call, he realized that the IRGC Quds Force commander was on the line. This marked the beginning of a friendship between the diplomat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the field commander.

Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, tragically passed away in a helicopter crash along with Martyr President Ayatollah Raisi. The crash occurred in the mountains of Azarbaijan, where the soil was mixed with the blood of this respected diplomat.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was born in 1964 in Damghan city. He lost his father when he was 7 years old. He got married at the age of 30. He studied international relations at the University of Tehran and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and earned a doctorate. In his interviews, he emphasized his role as a “diplomat” and often shared interesting stories about General Soleimani or personal meetings with his international counterparts, saying “We diplomats”.

He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the beginning of 1991, working as an expert in the Department of Arab and African Countries of the Ministry. According to his own words, if this department had not done him any good, he would have had the privilege of becoming a direct supporter of Martyr Sardar Soleimani. Later, when General Soleimani joined the Quds Corps, he had a close relationship with him. Amir-Abdollahian held such positions such as Deputy Director of the Arab and African Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2011 to 2016), Director General of the Persian Gulf and the Middle East (2010), Iran’s Ambassador to Bahrain (2007 to 2010), and deputy of the special representative of the foreign minister for Iraqi affairs (2013-2014).

He was elected as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Ayatollah Raisi and took up the “regional balance” strategy. He believed that Iran should have a good relationship with all of them by balancing the relationship between the countries of the region. Also, he did not hesitate to help the resistance groups and was a companion and friend of groups such as Hezbollah, Hashd al-Shaabi, Yemen’s Ansarullah, Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad groups. The proof of this claim was the foreign minister’s eight trips to Lebanon and Syria during his ministry. Most of the thinkers of the region and the Arab and African officials had a good relationship with him, and some of Iran’s rivals in the region always looked at him with respect. In short, he was known as the “Diplomat of the Field”!

A book about his professional life has been published called “Sobhe Sham”. According to Martyr Amir-Abdollahian’s testimony, this book was written at the request of General Martyr Soleimani. In a part of this book, interesting narratives of Sardar Soleimani can be seen stating: “Our intelligence departments have many documents that confirm that the main purpose of creating ISIS and the great crisis that was created for the region is the axis of resistance and Iran. The crisis was supposed to be transferred to our country. This was a plan drawn on a macro level for the region and for us. Each of the countries of the region entered into the story based on their understanding of the issue.”

In the field of regional diplomacy, after “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm”, as well as the war in Gaza and Israeli crimes in this area, he was always looking for a way to end the crimes in Gaza and help the Palestinian people. He traveled many times to the countries of the region and during his last trip to Gambia, he gave an important speech at the summit of Islamic countries.

He was deeply passionate about “Palestine”. All his efforts were dedicated to supporting the freedom of Palestine and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. In addition to his ministerial roles, he also led the Secretariat of the Palestinian Intifada Support Headquarters. This secretariat’s primary responsibility was to advocate for Palestinian freedom and emphasize the significance of this issue on the global political stage.

Amir-Abdollahian’s regional and international trips to different countries always brought good news. One of his most important activities during his ministry was to restore relations with Saudi Arabia. He also made significant progress in renewing the relationship with Egypt. In terms of the JCPOA and nuclear issues, he successfully navigated nuclear negotiations by following the nuclear strategic law.

Amir-Abdollahian was involved in negotiations for the exchange of prisoners and the return of 6 billion dollars from Iran’s blocked money in South Korea. Additionally, he aimed to improve relations with Eastern countries, reduce tensions with regional nations, and foster positive connections with independent countries worldwide. Many of these initiatives were successfully implemented, contributing to a positive legacy for him.

Martyr Amir-Abdollahian’s consultations before and after “Operation Wadeh Sadiq” (True Promise) were very prominent in the course of which he created political and diplomatic support for Iran. A clear example of this was his meeting with the UN Security Council in front of the representative of the Zionist regime. In the last 8 months, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was one of the most productive foreign ministers in the region and the world, who consulted and talked with his counterparts to stop the war in Gaza and implement a ceasefire. He had a difficult time during this period, especially in relation to the Israeli regime’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus and Operation True Promise.

In order to enhance foreign policy capabilities and play an effective role in regional and global developments, the Raisi Administration had prioritized the doctrine of neighborhood and convergence. This aims to restore balance to the country’s foreign policy. The diplomatic system focused on three main areas: neighbor-oriented policy, balanced foreign policy, and active economic diplomacy. Amir-Abdollahian had been chosen as the key figure to pursue the goals set for these three areas. One of Amir-Abdollahian’s significant achievements was Iran’s membership in the Shanghai Pact, which aimed to strengthen ties with eastern countries.