Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has officially endorsed Masoud Pezeshkian as the ninth president of the Islamic Republic. The announcement was made during snap elections won by the reformist camp’s candidate, who secured over 16 million votes or about 54% of the 30 million ballots cast. Pezeshkian is due to be sworn in before parliament on Tuesday. The ceremony took place in Tehran, with senior Iranian officials and foreign diplomats present.
In a message read by the director of Khamenei’s office, he said: “I endorse the vote (for) the wise, honest, popular and scholarly Mr Pezeshkian, and I am appointing him as the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
Pezeshkian was appointed as his first vice president by Mohammad Reza Aref, who has represented Tehran in parliament and served as first vice president and communications minister under Iran’s last reformist president, Mohammad Khatami. He was also Khatami’s health minister.
The election came amid heightened regional tensions since the Gaza war began in early October, disputes with Western powers over Iran’s nuclear programme, and domestic discontent over the state of the sanctions-hit economy. Khamenei urged the upcoming administration to form an “active and effective” response to regional developments and stressed the importance of diplomacy prioritizing neighboring nations.
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Source: NDTV
