The Iranian legislature endorses the government led by President Peskhkian.
Prior to the parliamentary vote, Peseschkian acknowledged that he had favored specific individuals for his cabinet initially. However, when he realized there wasn't a unanimous agreement, he conceded and made compromises. For him, achieving a consensus decision on the composition of the new government outweighed his preference for an ideal cabinet.
The reformist newspaper "Etemad" reported that the parliament's approval of all ministerial nominees by the president on Wednesday was a historic event, marking the first time in 23 years.
Following the vote, Peseschkian shared a photo on X with the conservative parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf and the chairman of the Supreme Court of Iran, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, captioned "Consensus for Iran". Ghalibaf assured the parliament's continuing support for the government in addressing the country's issues.
Peseschkian emerged victorious in Iran's presidential election in July, serving as the sole reformist candidate. His win was required due to the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in May.
The new Foreign Minister, Aragtschi, is known for his willingness to communicate with the West and has pledged his support for the "Axis of Resistance," an alliance comprising Iran and anti-Israel organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Aragtschi played a significant role in the nuclear negotiations with the West in 2013, resulting in a nuclear agreement in 2015. However, the agreement eventually crumbled following the US's unilateral withdrawal in 2018.
Peseschkian's cabinet includes only one woman, the Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farsaneh Sadegh. She is the second female minister since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. The Ministry of Defense is now headed by General Asis Nasirsadeh, a former air force commander.
Peseschkian faced criticism within the reformist camp for appointing conservative politicians from Raisi's preceding government. Additionally, he was criticized for neglecting to include representatives of ethnic and religious minorities in his cabinet and for having fewer female appointees.
After sharing the photo celebrating the consensus, Peseschkian highlighted the importance of the event by sharing several abstracts from historical parliamentary votes on his social media platform. The abstracts showcased the challenges and compromises made to achieve unity in government appointments.
Moving forward, Peseschkian acknowledged the need to address criticisms within his reformist camp and promised to include more diverse voices and gender representation in future cabinet decisions.
