Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian will be sworn in before parliament in early August as the Islamic Republic’s ninth President
New Delhi / Tehran, NFAPost; Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Masoud Pezeshkian on being elected as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In a statement, the Prime Minister expressed his wish Masoud Pezeshkian to his election as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Looking forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our warm and long-standing bilateral relationship for the benefit of our peoples and the region,” said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Congratulations @drpezeshkian on your election as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Looking forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our warm and long-standing bilateral relationship for the benefit of our peoples and the region.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)
The reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has defeated Saeed Jalili, a close associate of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, to become the ninth president of Iran. The victory in the presidential election marks a significant comeback for the reformists, who had been out of the presidency since 2005 and have been largely marginalised in the political system.
The 69-year-old reformist secured more than 16 million votes, around 54%, with Mr. Jalili winning more than 13 million, roughly 44%, out of about 30 million votes cast. Masoud Pezeshkian will replace President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in May.
The conservatives, or the principlists as they are known in Iran, have lost out on some of their traditional bases of support. The turnout surged in the second round, mostly to the favour of Pezeshkian, who outlined the dangers of a Jalili presidency, enticing many apathetic voters and some of the prominent anti-regime protesters towards his campaign.
Speaking from the Iranian capital Tehran on Saturday, Pezeshkian said his victory will “usher in a new chapter” for the country.
“We are ahead of a big trial, a trial of hardships and challenges, simply to provide a prosperous life to our people,” he said during brief remarks at the mausoleum of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Born 29 September 1954 to an Iran Azerbaijani father and Iranian Kurdish mother, the president-elect is an Iranian cardiac surgeon turned politician who represented Tabriz, Osku and Azarshahr electoral district in the Parliament of Iran and also served as its first Deputy Speaker from 2016 to 2020. He was the minister of health and medical education between 2001 and 2005 in the government of Mohammad Khatami.
Pezeshkian was elected governor of Piranshahr and Naghadeh counties in West Azerbaijan province during 1980s. He ran in the 2013 presidential election but withdrew. He ran again in the 2021 election but was rejected.
Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian will be sworn in before parliament in early August as the Islamic Republic’s ninth President, state media reported on July 7. Iranian Presidents-elect are required to take an oath before parliament before officially taking office. The swearing-in ceremony takes place after the President-elect receives an official endorsement by the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader.
Pezeshkian’s wife was a gynecologist. In 1993, she died along with their youngest son in a car crash. He raised his remaining two sons and daughter alone and has never remarried. His daughter, Zahra, has a master’s degree in Chemistry from the Sharif University of Technology and was working at Jam Petrochemical before the Rouhani government came to power. She is also regarded as a political adviser.
