TEHRAN – For the past few days, the warm and kind voice of the foreign minister has been absent from the hallways, phones, meetings, and offices. There are no messages or instructions, and his always-open office door is now closed, with an eerie silence. He has left this earthly world and chosen to commune with the sacred and celestial.

I first met him in the early days of my service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and later in the Iraq Task Force, the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Bahrain, the General Directorate of the Persian Gulf, the Deputy for Arab and African Affairs, and the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament). However, the period when I had the honor of working with him as minister stands out, showcasing his sincere efforts and tireless dedication as the organizer of our diplomatic efforts.

When Hossein Amir Abdollahian received his vote of confidence in the Islamic Consultative Assembly in 2021, I was the chief of the Lebanon Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Shortly afterward, with his approval, I took on the responsibility of the General Directorate of West Asia. A few months later, I was appointed as his Advisor and Director General of his Office. What distinguished him from others was his consistent behavior and approach, his unchanging personal character, coupled with his seriousness in action, good nature, and calm demeanor.

Entering the ministry

Martyr Amir Abdollahian was born on April 23, 1964, the night of Imam Hussein's (PBUH) birth, which is why he was named Hossein. Having lost his father in childhood, he pursued his education diligently and was accepted at the School of International Relations School of the Foreign Ministry in 1987. After graduation, Amir Abdollahian was employed as an expert at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1997, after earning his master's degree from the Faculty of Law and Political Science at the University of Tehran, he was appointed as the Deputy Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Baghdad. He also obtained a PhD in international relations from the University of Tehran.

The world lost a peace-loving man, a guardian of national interests, an anti-imperialist, a supporter of the oppressed, and a valuable diplomat. In 2001, after returning from Baghdad, he became the Deputy Director of the Persian Gulf Political Department and, from 2003 for three years, served as the Deputy Special Assistant for the Iraq Affairs. In 2007, he was appointed as the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Bahrain. Upon returning to Tehran, he was appointed as the Director-General of the Persian Gulf in 2010. At the age of 47, in 2011, he was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs by then-Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi. In the subsequent administration in 2016, he went to the Islamic Consultative Assembly and served as an advisor to the Parliament speaker on international affairs.

From August 25, 2021, when he received 270 votes in favor, 6 votes against, and 10 abstentions to become Foreign Minister, to the day of his martyrdom, a total of 1,000 days passed. During these thousand days, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the 13th government, adhering to the fundamental principles of the Islamic Revolution and the sacred system of the Islamic Republic as stated in the Constitution and other upstream documents, worked towards maintaining the country's independence and security and achieving national goals and interests. Within the framework of the transformative goals of the service-oriented government of President Raisi, and considering the strategic principles of dignity, wisdom, and expediency, he based his plans and actions on the strategy of "balanced foreign policy, dynamic diplomacy, and intelligent interaction." In this path, with active engagement in dynamic diplomacy, it prioritized the development of relations with neighbors, active economic diplomacy, strengthening public diplomacy in line with the jihad of explanation, supporting the Axis of Resistance, safeguarding the rights of the peaceful nuclear program, striving to lift unjust sanctions, strengthening multilateralism, countering the hegemonic system, activating and utilizing parliamentary diplomacy, protecting the rights of Iranians abroad and strengthening their connection with the homeland. It also optimized the use of committed and specialized human resources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and led organizational structural reforms.

His ministry initially faced multiple challenges, including the urgent need to secure and produce COVID-19 vaccines, developments in Afghanistan, the ongoing crisis between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and foreign exchange demands, which he managed and advanced the country through his efforts and leadership. He and his organization were able to achieve significant transformations in the field of summit diplomacy and neighborliness policy. Arranging meetings between the President and foreign leaders every 14 days was just part of the summit diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran during this government. The acceptance of the Islamic Republic of Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as the ninth main member and membership in BRICS were other significant foreign policy achievements in which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs played an unparalleled role. Under his guidance, the diplomatic body managed to implement the 25-year strategic cooperation agreement with China and prepared the groundwork for a similar pact with Russia. Furthermore, in implementing the policy of developing relations with neighboring and Asian countries, prioritizing economic diplomacy in foreign interactions, and developing relations with African and Latin American countries, other tangible achievements were made. Some of these include:

- Repairing relations with various countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Sudan, etc.

- Securing strategic needs from foreign countries like vaccines and medicines

- Recognizing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the top government agency in the 2022 Shahid Rajai Festival

- Signing over 600 cooperation documents with foreign countries

- Finalizing Iran's membership in two crucial organizations: BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

- Planning to enhance the status of Iranians abroad

- Optimizing consular service systems and increasing service hours and days for the public

- Improving the rank of the Iranian passport from 190 in 2020 to 86 in 2023

- Implementing the 25-year cooperation agreement with China

- Effectively managing regional crises like Afghanistan, the Azerbaijan-Armenia war, and Turkey-Syria tensions

- Conducting around 300 meetings and over 400 telephone conversations with foreign officials 

- Establishing political-strategic consultation committees with dozens of countries

- Taking fruitful actions in unfreezing significant financial resources of the Islamic Republic of Iran abroad

- Increasing the value of foreign exchanges by 14% with 21 target countries

- Securing the presidency of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue

In the early days of his service, Amir Abdollahian traveled to Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, and continuously supported the issue of Palestine and the Axis of Resistance. In recent months, with the brutal invasion of the Zionist regime against Gaza since October 7, the most extensive diplomatic efforts to condemn the invasion and prevent its continuation were initiated by Amir Abdollahian. Conducting over 120 phone calls with counterparts and more than 80 meetings with officials from various countries in the shortest possible time were among the actions of the "man of diplomacy." His diplomatic movements to voice the plight of the oppressed Palestinian people were so impactful that Zionist media were forced to admit defeat against these actions. Martyr Amir Abdollahian also personally participated in several sessions of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council to condemn Zionist crimes, meeting with dozens of officials from different countries each time.

Amir Abdollahian was known for his politeness and humbleness even among his harshest critics.The history of Iran will not forget the services of this great man who managed interactions with global actors without imposing unnecessary costs and played a crucial role in opposing the Zionist regime's aggression. From my perspective, the world lost a peace-loving man, a guardian of national interests, an anti-imperialist, a supporter of the oppressed, and a valuable diplomat. Late Amir Abdollahian was known for his politeness and humbleness even among his harshest critics. He never rejected anyone for insufficient reasons; on the contrary, he believed that a manager must be able to work with all elements of an organization. He always said it was wrong to exclude someone just because their views differ from ours; instead, we should try to win them over. During these unforgettable thousand days, he paid special attention to all personal correspondence and calls from colleagues or fellow Iranians. None of the requests made to him went unanswered, and the annotation "follow up and let me know the result" was one of his well-known annotations on personal requests from colleagues. He was always committed to implementing the directives of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and had assigned a committee to execute those views. He pursued the President's orders with determination and power, always emphasizing: "We have a short time to serve and to move, the time is over; so we should not miss the opportunity." Fatigue and laziness had no place in his management. I testify that he was highly sensitive to any illegal or non-regulatory actions and his greatest vigilance was towards higher officials and relatives. He was extremely sensitive to informal relationships and illegal actions, constantly worrying that a colleague's right might be infringed. At the same time, he believed that matters should be pursued with decisiveness, speed, and accuracy and concluded within a specified period. He placed great emphasis on respecting veterans and retirees and was ready to help provide for their welfare.

In conclusion, with his martyrdom, he continued diplomacy. The arrival of over 60 delegations from various countries to Tehran on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 22, marked another achievement in foreign policy. 
May his soul rest in peace... He lived happily and died a martyr.