Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh announced the death of Hassan Irloo, the country's top diplomat to the Yemeni capital. Sanaa is controlled by the Tehran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels.
The ambassador died of COVID-19 according to the spokesman, who described Irloo as a "martyr," as Iranian officials often refer to soldiers who die in combat and selectively for public workers who die while serving in an official capacity.