Tehran [Iran], April 10 : Tehran [Iran], April 10 : Kamal Kharrazi, head of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations and former Iranian foreign minister, has died after succumbing to injuries sustained in an attack earlier this week, Iranian state media reported.
Kharrazi was reportedly injured in a strike that targeted his residence in Tehran. He passed away on Thursday night. His wife had also died in the same attack earlier this week, Press TV stated.
Kharrazi was a senior figure in Iran's political establishment. Kharrazi held several key positions following the Islamic Revolution. He served as Iran's foreign minister from August 1997 to August 2005 and was also a member of the Expediency Discernment Council.
He was heading the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, an advisory body established in 2006 that reports directly to Iran's supreme leadership and provides strategic guidance on foreign policy and international affairs.
Ali Khamenei and several senior Iranian officials and military commanders were killed in the West Asia conflict, which began on February 28. As of now, both sides have reached a temporary ceasefire and agreed to hold further negotiations in Islamabad.
However, the fragile ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran hangs in the balance as Israel continues to strike southern Lebanon, despite Iran's claims of the region being included in the temporary agreement.
Both Washington and Israel have maintained that the ceasefire does not extend to Hezbollah targets, a disagreement that has further complicated diplomatic efforts and heightened the risk of the truce collapsing.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that there is "no ceasefire in Lebanon" and vowed to continue military operations with "full force" against Hezbollah.
"I wish to inform you: There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we restore your security," he said.
However, he has instructed the Cabinet to open direct negotiations with the Lebanese government to achieve "disarmament of Hezbollah" and "historic peace agreement".
"Following repeated requests from the Lebanese government, last night I instructed the Cabinet to begin direct negotiations with Lebanon to achieve two goals. First, the disarmament of Hezbollah. Second, a historic peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon," he said.