TEHRAN, IRAN — Former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi has died at the age of 81 from injuries sustained during recent airstrikes reportedly carried out by the United States and Israel, according to Iranian state-linked media reports.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) notes that Kharazi succumbed to wounds suffered during the April 1 strikes, which targeted locations in Tehran amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Reports from Iranian news agencies indicated that the veteran diplomat was seriously injured when his residence was hit during the attack. His wife was also killed in the same incident, further deepening the tragedy surrounding the strike.
Kharazi, who was serving as head of Iran’s Strategic Council for International Relations at the time of his death, was described by Iranian authorities as a key figure in shaping the country’s foreign policy over several decades.
He previously served as Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in New York before becoming foreign minister from 1997 to 2005 under reformist President Mohammad Khatami.
Iranian officials and state media characterized his death as a result of what they described as a “terrorist attack,” blaming joint actions by the United States and Israel in the ongoing regional conflict.
Background analysis shows that tensions in the Middle East have sharply escalated following a series of coordinated strikes reportedly involving U.S. and Israeli forces since late February, targeting key Iranian-linked sites.
The conflict has reportedly led to the deaths of several high-ranking Iranian political and military figures, intensifying fears of a broader regional war.
Among those affected are senior officials and influential figures within Iran’s political and security establishments, raising concerns over stability and the potential for retaliatory actions.
The reported killing of Kharazi adds to a growing list of casualties linked to the escalating hostilities, further complicating diplomatic relations and peace efforts in the region.
International observers warn that continued strikes and retaliatory rhetoric could deepen instability across the Middle East, with global implications for security, energy markets, and geopolitical alliances.
As reactions continue to emerge, the death of the former foreign minister underscores the human and political cost of the ongoing conflict, as well as the fragile state of diplomacy in the region.
