“And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, ‘They are dead’. Rather, they are alive, but you perceive [it] not.” (2:154)

Speaking about the late Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian is very difficult for me, especially since our acquaintance dates back more than 30 years. It is even harder to do so within just a few hours, while I was extremely busy. However, I have tried to summarize my thoughts in a few sentences.

We first met in the late 1980s at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs College. I was in the third year, and the martyr Foreign Minister was a student in the fourth year.

After joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1988 (myself) and the following year (Amir Abdollahian), we both worked in West Asia’s Arab departments, benefiting from the teachings of the late Hossein Sheikh al-Islam, a master of Resistance diplomacy. Amir Abdollahian focused on the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Bahrain, while I focused on West Asia, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt.

He went to become the head of the Iraq Task Force, then a deputy and head of a department, the second-in-command in Baghdad, ambassador to Bahrain, and deputy minister. I was assigned to missions in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt.

When Amir Abdollahian became the deputy foreign minister for Arab and African Affairs, our professional relationship naturally deepened, as I was also the deputy director-general of the region. I was assigned as consul general in Karbala, and he moved from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Parliament. During my five-year mission, he visited Karbala once with his family, and I had the honor of hosting him, for which he repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

The most important point is that Amir Abdollahian's character remained unchanged throughout his career, from being an expert, head of department, ambassador, and deputy minister, to becoming a minister. These responsibilities did not affect his ethics, behavior, magnanimity, or compassion for his friends. Amir Abdollahian remained the same person: amiable, cheerful, smiling, highly consultative, and an expert in the region, particularly in the field of Resistance.

We were so comfortable with him that even when he became a minister, he was still known among friends simply as "Mr. Amir," not "Mr. Minister."

After his time in Parliament and my return from Karbala, I became the director-general for West Asia and North Africa, and our relationship grew even closer, particularly regarding issues like Palestine and related conferences.

Later, he was appointed as Foreign Minister and won the confidence of the parliamentarians for the post in the late President Raisi’s administration. Naturally, our regional office and I had even more interactions with him during meetings and travels. We traveled together to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and other places, and I witnessed his efforts and actions for the Axis of Resistance (in numerous meetings with Hassan Nasrallah, Bashar al-Assad, and other regional officials). Whether on flights, in hotels, or during meetings, he was highly engaging and consultative, always speaking highly of his friends, often saying, "Mr. ... is our mentor."

His excellent demeanor with accompanying journalists during trips always left a lasting impression of his courtesy and respect.

After handing over the post of director-general in 2021 to another friend and being appointed as the advisor to minister on West Asian affairs, his kindness towards me did not diminish. In late 2023, I was appointed as the ambassador of Iran to Tunisia, signed by the two martyrs Raisi and Amir Abdollahian, and left for this country.

The last farewell

About two weeks before his martyrdom, when he traveled to Gambia, despite plans to refuel in Algeria, he expressed a desire to return via Tunisia. Despite the challenges of coordinating this during the weekend, with God's help, it was arranged, and he spent about two hours at an airport in Tunisia in a very friendly and affectionate meeting with colleagues, showing great kindness towards me. His last words before boarding the plane were: "I could have returned from Algeria, but I came here to see you," referring to my transfer in Tehran and its background, which need not be discussed here.

And Amir Abdollahian left and did not return, despite all the arrangements for his official visit to Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia. But God had a different plan. (Man plans, and God decides.)

May Allah have mercy on him and grant him a place in Jannah. May He give his honorable family patience and great reward, and may He help us continue the path of these martyrs.

Amen, O Lord of the worlds.