Hossein Kazempour Ardebili

Hossein Kazempour Ardebili (, also spelled Hoseyn Kazempur-Ardabili

Career To cover his expenses during his studies in the U.S. he worked as a pizza delivery man. A Japanese police investigation in 2000 accused him of having been involved in exports of parts of antitank rocket launchers to Iran, violating Japanese restrictions against exports of weapons to Iran since 1967. By 2005 he was a board member of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Chairman of its Swiss-based subsidiary NICO.

He served again as his country's top representative to OPEC from 2013 to his death in 2020. He helped improve the Islamic Republic's negotiating position in OPEC and played a role in the recovery of its oil industry during the lifting of sanctions following the nuclear deal in 2015. His funeral was held on May 17 in Tehran, and the ceremony was attended by both Oil Minister Zangeneh and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. A few days later, OPEC headquarters held a special condolence ceremony over his death, attended by the Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo.

Evaluation According to Bloomberg News, he was an "ultimate OPEC negotiator" who "defended Iran's oil interests through war and sanctions." The news agency's report on his death describes him as "a constant" in the world's oil diplomacy, and was a "stubborn negotiator" in OPEC's meetings, especially during clashes with Iran's rival Saudi Arabia. In 2008, Kazempour told the Hamshahri newspaper that, "If Iran has had success in the international energy sector, I have been one of the main agents of this success." Arne Walther, former secretary general of the International Energy Forum describes him as having a "poker face" and having mastered "the art of bureaucratic mischief". Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described him as a "strong defender of national interests ... and candid advisor to the Islamic Republic's officials".