Masoud Pezeshkian has been sworn in as Iran’s ninth President.
This comes as Pezeshkian won a runoff race against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili on July 5,2024, to replace President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in May.
The ceremony, held at the Iranian parliament, was attended by representatives from at least 80 countries.
European Union envoy, Enrique Mora was also present.
Regional Iran-backed allies were also in attendance, namely Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and the head of the Islamic Jihad Ziyad al-Nakhalah.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement was represented by the group’s deputy secretary general Naim Qassem while the Yemen’s Huthi rebels sent spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam.
The swearing-in ceremony was conducted by Judiciary Chief, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei.
The ceremony came two days after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei officially endorsed Pezeshkian and gave the 69-year-old heart surgeon presidential powers.
“I as the President, in front of the Holy Koran and the people of Iran, swear to almighty God to be the guardian of the official religion and the Islamic Republic system and the constitution of the country,” Pezeshkian declared at the ceremony which was broadcast live on state TV.
The reformist politician added that he will dedicate all his abilities and qualifications to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to him.
“And I will devote myself to serving the people and elevating the nation, promoting religion and ethics, supporting righteousness, and expanding justice.”
Masoud Pezeshkian
The new President is required by law to present his final cabinet list to Parliament for approval within the next two weeks.
Mojtaba Yousefi, a member of the parliament’s presiding board, stated that as per parliamentary rules, Pezeshkian will officially renounce his lawmaker mandate on July 31, 2024.
Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony came amid concerns of war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah following a rocket attack on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
Israel has accused Hezbollah of responsibility for the attack that killed 12 children but the Iran-backed Lebanese group has denied any involvement.
During Tuesday’s ceremony, parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf gave a speech lambasting what he called Israel’s “crimes” in Gaza.
Some Iranians present in parliament chanted, “Death to Israel, death to America.”
Iran has made support for the Palestinian cause a centerpiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Since his election, Iran’s new President, Masoud Pezeshkian has reaffirmed support for the so-called “axis of resistance,” Tehran-aligned groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis, that support Hamas against Israel.
Masoud Pezeshkian Vows To Continue Fighting Against Sanctions
Iran’s new President, Masoud Pezeshkian vowed to continue efforts toward normalizing economic relations with other countries and fighting against the sanctions.
“I think that this is Iran’s unalienable right to have normal relations with the world and I will not bow down in the fight against tough sanctions,” he said during the inauguration ceremony.
According to Pezeshkian, some countries, which have a more than 20-year experience of talks with Iran, should have understood that Iran “has always been and will always be committed to its liabilities” and would not yield to any pressure.
In a recent article, Pezeshkian called for “constructive relations” with European countries, despite accusing them of failing to fulfill commitments to mitigate the impact of US sanctions.
Reformists in Iran are opposed to regime change and remain loyal to the country’s theocratic rule.
However, they advocate for detente with the West, economic reform, social liberalization and political pluralism.
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