TEHRAN – Alireza Bigdeli, Iran's newly appointed head of mission in Kabul, has commenced his duties in Afghanistan. 

Bigdeli arrived in Kabul on Saturday and was greeted by senior Afghan officials.

This appointment follows Bigdeli's extensive diplomatic career, including service as Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs and ambassadorial postings to Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Cyprus. His selection as head of mission was announced by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on November 24th.

Upon his arrival, Bigdeli received an official welcome from the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He succeeds Hassan Kazemi Qomi, who also served as the Iranian president’s special representative in Afghanistan. 

In his inaugural address after arriving in Afghanistan, Bigdeli expressed, “It is a privilege to represent the Islamic Republic of Iran in Afghanistan in this new capacity.” 

He emphasized that a key priority for the Iranian embassy's mission in Afghanistan is to foster friendly relations, drawing on the numerous shared interests between the two nations.