TEHRAN – Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, has offered condolences on the martyrdom of Dr. Kamal Kharrazi, the former foreign minister and head of the Strategic Council for Foreign Relations.

In a message, the Leader described Kharrazi as a distinguished scholar and an experienced diplomat, calling his martyrdom “a badge of honor for Iran’s academic and political elite” and “a shameful testament to US-Zionist arrogance.”

Kharrazi, who also served as Iran’s ambassador to the UN and headed the Institute for Cognitive Sciences, was martyred after being injured in US and Israeli strikes. His wife was also martyred in the same attacks.

Earlier President Masoud Pezeshkian offered his condolences over Kharrazi’s assassination describing him as a "prominent, committed, and influential figure" in Iran’s diplomatic apparatus, highlighting his decades of service following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"He spent many years of his noble life in critical responsibilities such as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, with sincerity, tact, and deep adherence to the ideals of the Islamic Revolution," Pezeshkian said. 

Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei also issued a statement. He said the late diplomat was an "influential weight" across various political arenas.