Seyed Mohammad Hossein Adeli (Persian: سید محمدحسین عادلی, born in 1953 in Ahvaz) is an Iranian politician, diplomat, economist and academic.

Adeli’s diplomatic career began with his appointment as Iran’s Ambassador to Japan between 1986 and 1989, during which he played a key role in revitalising Iranian and Japanese business/political relations.

While he was in office, Hirohito, the 124th Emperor of Japan who ruled for over 60 years died on January 7, 1989, and his imperial funeral was held on the next month.

He has received many awards including a distinction by the Economic Cooperation Organization Secretary General for "Special Recognition and Appreciation" for his contribution and proposition of the name ECO.

Adeli has also received special recognition for various activities including: spearheading monetary reforms as Central Bank Governor; innovation of a new Islamic banking financial instrument called "Participation Paper", now widely used in Iran and other Islamic countries under the name of Sukuk; initiating the law for Official Development Assistance of Iran which aims to contribute to the development of least developing countries; initiating Economic Diplomacy for the first time in Iran; initiating Economic partnership with Africa through Iran–Africa economic summit; being head of Coordination for assistance to Iraqi reconstruction, and Coordination for assisting Afghanistan reconstruction through international organization.

After leaving the government, Adeli founded the Ravand Institute for Economic and International Studies,[8] Iran’s first private[9] non-governmental, non-partisan research centre (think-thank).