Alireza Bigdeli

Alireza Bigdeli is a career Iranian diplomat with a PhD in Political Philosophy who has served in senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs positions spanning more than three decades. He began as chargé d'affaires in Kazakhstan (1991–1992), then served as ambassador to Azerbaijan (1995–2000), ambassador to Cyprus (2007–2010), and ambassador to Turkey (2012–2015). Within the ministry, he held planning and research roles as well as acting deputy for consular and parliamentary affairs (appointed December 2021).

In November 2024, he was appointed ambassador to Afghanistan under the Taliban government, replacing Hassan Kazemi Qomi. He presented his credentials in Kabul in January 2025.

Azerbaijani intelligence sources and Iranian opposition outlets allege that Bigdeli had an IRGC intelligence background and that his posting in Baku was used to coordinate IRGC intelligence operations targeting Israeli interests in Azerbaijan. These allegations have not been confirmed by independent reporting.