TEHRAN – Hamid Reza Dehghani-Poudeh has been appointed as the new Iranian ambassador to neighboring Qatar, succeeding Mohammad Ali Sobhani, who has been Tehran’s ambassador to Doha since November 2016.

Sobhani’s tenure ended on September 21. At the end of his tenure, Sobhani met with several high-ranking Qatari officials including Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and Sheikh Khaled bin Khalifa Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar.

During the meeting with the emir, Sobhani appreciated Sheikh Tamim’s “unique support” to Iran, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Dehghani-Poudeh will soon replace Sobhani. He met with President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday. Rouhani asked the newly-appointed ambassador to strengthen Iran's economic ties with the Persian Gulf nation.

Dehghani-Poudeh is a career diplomat who has served in various positions including as the director of the Foreign Ministry’s West Asia and North Africa Directorate, Iran’s permanent representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the deputy head of Iran’s mission in Beirut, and the head of the Foreign Ministry’s training office.

Iran-Qatar relations have grown greatly over the past few years, especially after a blockade has been imposed on Qatar by four Arab countries – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt- which accused Qatar of supporting terrorism and fomenting unrest in these countries.

SM/PA