Iran ambassador to Yemen dies of Covid-19
21 December, 2021
Iran's top diplomat to Yemen died on Tuesday after contracting coronavirus, Iranian state TV has said.
The death of Ambassador Hassan Irloo came after he was recalled from war-torn Yemen for what Iran described as medical treatment.
State-run media in Iran said he had become infected with the virus in Yemen, where a war between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led military coalition has raged for six years.
The ministry said Mr Irloo was in need of urgent medical care after being infected for several days, and was on his way to Iran.
“In order to transfer him to our country for treatment, the Foreign Ministry conducted consultations with some regional countries to prepare for his transfer, ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told state media.
Mr Irloo was appointed by Tehran in October last year as its ambassador to Sanaa, but stands accused by the US government of being a member of the radical Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The US State Department under then-president Donald Trump had described Mr Irloo as a member of the corps.