Hamid-Reza Assefi

Who is Hamid-Reza Assefi?

Hamid Reza Assefi was born in Mashhad, Iran. Spokesman, Vice Minister of Parliamentary and Consular Affairs and Communication, and the Special Assistant to the Minister at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs under President Khatami. He is now Iran's ambassador to the UAE.

He was an ambassador of Iran during 1994 till 1998. He was also Ambassador of Iran to France during the 1998 World Cup where he gave the Iranian fans flags and posters of the Iranian national football team.

On 12 February 2006 he stated that "I believe the crimes committed by the Zionist regime are greater than the Holocaust. Unfortunately, the Zionist regime is blackmailing the Europeans with the Holocaust."

Speaking about Baghdad bridge stampede that occurred on August 31, 2005 when up to 1,000 people died he said: "[Iran offers its] condolences and sympathy with the Iraqi people and government. Suspicious hands are involved in conspiracies to incite violence and bloodshed among the different Iraqi groups and tribes so that they disturb the security and calm of the Iraqi people"