Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said Monday that Iran plans to announce the appointment of a new ambassador in Yemen after the passing of the previous envoy Hassan Irloo.

On Dec. 21, Iran's Foreign Ministry has announced that its Ambassador to Yemen, Hassan Irloo, has passed away from COVID-19 complications, following his delayed reparation from Yemen.

Irloo was due to return earlier for treatment, but delays in cooperation for his evacuation from the war-torn country worsened his health condition.

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said the Ambassador was transferred to the country in a “bad state” due to the “late cooperation” of some countries, a reference to Saudi Arabia that only approved the flight following mediation by Iraq and Oman.

Irloo had contracted the virus at the Iranian mission in Sanaa and passed away early on Tuesday despite "undergoing all stages of treatment to improve his condition," Khatibzadeh said. The Ambassador was transferred from the Yemeni capital to Iran late on Saturday.

For more than six years, the Saudi-led aggression on Yemen has been a key driver of “the largest humanitarian disaster in the world.“