Seyyed Alinaghi Kharrazi, widely known as Kamal Kharrazi, was born in Tehran on December 1, 1944.
Over the course of his professional life, he became one of the Islamic Republic’s most recognizable diplomatic figures, serving in senior governmental, international, academic, and advisory positions.
At the time of his death on April 9, 2026, Kharrazi was serving as Head of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, an international affairs adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, and a designated member of the Expediency Discernment Council.
These responsibilities reflected his continued involvement in the development and assessment of Iran’s foreign policy long after his tenure as Foreign Minister had ended.
His career was distinguished by an unusual combination of diplomatic experience, political responsibilities, and academic expertise.
While many senior officials concentrate primarily on governmental affairs, Kharrazi maintained an enduring connection with education, psychology, and cognitive science.
He was a professor and retired faculty member of the University of Tehran’s Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and was closely associated with the Institute for Cognitive Science Studies.
This combination of academic and diplomatic experience contributed to his distinctive professional profile within Iran’s political establishment.
