Adviser to Iran's Foreign Minister Dies of Coronavirus

The Iranian Foreign Minister's advisor who took part in the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis died of coronavirus, Irna's official news agency reported.

Hossein Sheikholeslam, "a veteran and revolutionary diplomat" died late Thursday, Irna said.

Iran has been struggling to contain the rapid spread of coronavirus, which has so far infected 4,747 people and killed at least 124 people in the Islamic Republic.

Six of those who died from coronavirus are politicians or government officials.

Before his death, Sheikholeslam was an adviser to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

A former ambassador to Syria, he also served as deputy foreign minister from 1981 to 1997.

Sheikholeslam was also one of the students involved in the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.

That year, and less than nine months after the downfall of the American-backed Shah, Iranian students invaded the US embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage.

This prompted Washington to sever diplomatic ties with Iran in 1980.

The hostages were freed in January 1981, after 444 days in captivity.

The novel coronavirus also claimed the lives of other influential Iranian leaders, including Mohammad Mirmohammadi of the Expediency Committee, which advises Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Other officials who died of coronavirus include MP Mohammad Ali Ramezani and Mojtaba Pourkhanali, minister of agriculture, both from Gilan, one of the country's worst-hit provinces.

The others were Ahmad Toyserkani, advisor to the chief justice, Hadi Khosroshahi, former ambassador to the Vatican, and Mojtaba Fazeli, assistant to the senior cleric.

Tehran MP Fatemeh Rahbar is currently in a coma after being infected, according to ISNA news agency.

A number of other officials have been contaminated and are under quarantine, including Vice-President Masoumeh Ebtekar, Deputy Minister of Health Iraj Harirchi, and Grand Ayatollah Musa Shobairi Zanjani, who is perceived to be one of the top religious authorities.

Iran also closed its schools and universities, canceled big cultural and athletic events, and cut working hours around the world to deter its activities.

Source: AFP