The daughter of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard who was assassinated in a U.S. airstrike at Baghdad Airport four years ago, appeared presenting a gift to Abdollahian's family to be buried with him. The gift was nothing but her father's ring, which identified him when he fell in a U.S. strike near the Iraqi capital's airport. Many Iranians shared the video, confirming it as evidence of the close relationship that existed between the two men.
Abdollahian, who served as Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs starting in 2011 and was appointed to head the ministry in 2021 during the late President Ebrahim Raisi's tenure, was known to be very close to the Revolutionary Guard. An Iranian legislator even described him as "another Qassem Soleimani in the field of diplomacy" following the formation of the new government in 2021, according to Foreign Policy magazine. He once referred to himself as “Soleimani’s soldier”, revealing that whenever he traveled to a country as a diplomatic and negotiating envoy, he would first consult with Soleimani for necessary guidance, as mentioned in the magazine.
The late minister had previously stated that since the beginning of his career, he worked closely with the Quds Force commander and was present during direct negotiations in 2007 with Americans in Iraq. Abdollahian died last Sunday when a helicopter carrying him, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and six other companions crashed over a rugged mountainous area in East Azerbaijan province, northwest of the country, resulting in the death of everyone on board.
