Khatibzadeh, who has been at the helm for nearly two years since August 2020, announced the designation in his weekly press briefing on Monday.
Khatibzadeh said he would continue his role as an advisor at the Foreign Ministry.
As a career diplomat, Kanani has also headed the Iranian Foreign Affairs Ministry’s Iraq Division.
He was also the political secretary of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Embassy in Uzbekistan, deputy head of the Arab Middle East and North Africa Office, deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Embassy in Jordan, and the charge d’affaires of the Iranian Embassy in Jordan.
He holds a master’s degree in International Relations and is fluent in English and Arabic.
