TEHRAN – South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation has hailed the late Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian as a staunch supporter of the oppressed Palestinian people, noting that Abdollahian's passing is a significant loss for freedom fighters worldwide.

Naledi Pandor made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking to Iranian reporters on the sidelines of the BRICS Ministerial Meeting in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod.

“My dear colleague Minister Abdollahian, I regarded him as a brother. We would speak often on world issues and we shared many perspectives particularly our support for the just cause of freedom and justice for the people of Palestine. So, this is a great loss to the Islamic Republic of Iran and to those countries in the world that wish to see a more inclusive world order and also to the people of Palestine who are struggling for freedom today,” she stated. 

Amir Abdollahian took charge as Iran’s foreign minister in August of 2021 and held the position until his passing on May 19, 2024. He and President Ebrahim Raisi along with six other officials lost their lives during a helicopter crash in the mountainous region of the country’s East Azerbaijan Province. 

Amir Abdollahian embarked on a whirlwind of diplomatic efforts, including numerous trips and phone calls, since the early days of Israel’s latest war on Gaza in a bid to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people and bring an end to the conflict.

The late diplomat launched several regional tours and communicated with world leaders on a regular basis, urging them to ramp up pressure on the Zionist regime if they wanted to see a meaningful change in its savage conduct.  His passing was mourned by Palestinians in Gaza and across the occupied territories, who believed that they had lost a dear friend and a genuine supporter. 

Besides Iran, South Africa has been the biggest vocal and practical supporter of Palestinians in the past eight months. South Africa also filed a genocide case against the Zionist regime at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has been backed by dozens of countries so far. 

Pandor also talked to reporters about President Raisi's endeavors and policies. “I was very fortunate and privileged to have the opportunity to meet our early departed leader, President Raisi. He was always very constructive in his views on Africa and always supported a strong partnership between the Islamic Republic of Iran and my country South Africa,” she pointed out. 

President Raisi was a huge advocate of fostering relations with neighboring and extra-regional countries. During his time in office, Iran became a member of BRICS, as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.