New President - Iran's leader appoints Peseschkian as new president
Massud Peseschkian is the new President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. He received the appointment decree and blessings from the Supreme Leader of the Country, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and was therefore declared the ninth President of the Republic. The entire political elite of the country and numerous foreign diplomats were present at the ceremony in the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Teheran's capital. After being appointed by Khamenei, Peseschkian will be officially sworn in at the Parliament on Tuesday. He will then present his Vice Presidents and Cabinet members.
The moderate Peseschkian won the presidential election in early July against the hardliner candidate Said Jalili. In Iran, however, according to the constitution, Khamenei is the political and religious head of state, and the President acts merely as the head of government. Therefore, it was not he, but Khamenei, who had the final say in all strategic matters.
The election was brought forward following the death of the incumbent Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May. The 69-year-old heart surgeon and former parliamentarian Peseschkian is considered loyal to the system, but in his campaign he promised both domestic and foreign political reforms. "We have kindled new hopes in people that we cannot turn into renewed hopelessness," said the new President.
In his victory speech, Massud Peseschkian thanked Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for his support during the Iranian presidential election. As the new President, Peseschkian will work closely with the Government in Teheran to implement his promised reforms.
