Masoud Pezeshkian Sworn in as the New President

Masoud Pezeshkian entered the Islamic Consultative Assembly for his inauguration ceremony and was sworn in as the ninth President of Iran. On Tuesday, August 1, a public session of the parliament was held under the chairmanship of Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf with the presence of 279 representatives to conduct the swearing-in ceremony of Masoud Pezeshkian. Mr. Pezeshkian took the oath in the presence of the head of the judiciary in accordance with Article 121 of the Constitution. According to the text of the oath, he pledged to 'uphold the official religion and the system of the Republic' and 'promote religion' in Iran, to 'avoid any form of despotism,' and to 'support the freedom and dignity of individuals and the rights recognized by the Constitution for the nation.' Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Parliament, also pledged to 'assist the new government' in a speech and then announced the end of the swearing-in ceremony. In the inauguration ceremony of the fourteenth presidential term in Iran, in addition to the heads of the legislative and judicial branches, senior officials and dignitaries from various countries were present. According to domestic news agencies, representatives from 86 countries, including 104 delegations and international organizations, attended the ceremony. Masoud Pezeshkian met with various officials from South Africa, Syria, Cuba, Yemen, Malaysia, as well as with representatives from Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah on Tuesday evening. Mr. Pezeshkian also had a phone conversation with Emmanuel Macron, the President of France. The helicopter crash of Ebrahim Raisi, the President of Iran, which resulted in his death and that of his companions in late May 2024, led to early presidential elections in which a majority of citizens did not participate. In this election, Masoud Pezeshkian, who has the support of reformist groups, won. He has served multiple terms as a member of parliament and now, with his appointment confirmed on August 1 and following today's swearing-in ceremony on August 1, he must seek a vote of confidence for his cabinet from the same parliament where many representatives were aligned with his electoral rivals. According to Article 121 of the Constitution, the presidential swearing-in ceremony must take place in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and the President must take the oath in a public session, in the presence of representatives and members of the Guardian Council, alongside the head of the judiciary. After taking the oath, the President signs the text in the presence of the head of the judiciary and members of the Guardian Council, and the text of the oath is submitted to Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of the Guardian Council. According to the internal regulations of the parliament, the President is required to submit the names of proposed ministers with relevant experience and expertise, along with their biographies, programs, backgrounds, and other verifiable qualifications, to the parliament within a maximum of two weeks after the swearing-in ceremony. Masoud Pezeshkian recently stated that the eight percent economic growth mentioned in Iran's development plans is not possible without foreign relations. However, in his first statements and meetings after being elected as President of Iran, he focused on the issue of Gaza and continued support for militias backed by the Republic in the region. Pezeshkian emphasized that the Islamic Republic's support for its allied groups in the region will now be 'stronger' and added that the activities of this network of groups will lead to the 'destruction of Israel.' Hamas is one of the groups listed as terrorist by the U.S. and the European Union. Amid rising tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, he and the Supreme Leader met with Ismail Haniyeh and Ziad al-Nakhala on Tuesday, August 1. Mr. Pezeshkian told Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, that the Islamic Republic's support for his group 'will continue with greater strength and power.' On the same day, Pezeshkian also met with Sheikh Naim Qassem from Hezbollah and told him that support for his group and other Iranian-backed groups in the region is a 'religious duty and a fundamental policy of the Islamic Republic.' These emphases by the new President of Iran come at a time when Iranian protesters have consistently opposed this regional policy in numerous nationwide protests, chanting slogans such as 'Not Gaza, Not Lebanon, My Life for Iran.' Meanwhile, France and Germany have urged Iran to work towards reducing tensions, and the U.S. has emphasized a diplomatic solution. Israel has also responded to recent rocket attacks and conducted strikes against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, met with Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, on Tuesday morning and told him that 'yesterday was the three-hundredth day of the Gaza war, and we have now reached a sensitive and historic stage,' adding that armed members of his group 'must consolidate their heroism and victory.' While Haniyeh speaks of 'consolidating heroism and victory,' his group previously attacked civilians in southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages, which initiated a very destructive war. Israeli officials estimate that around 14,000 militants affiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad have been killed or captured in the military operations that began against Hamas after that date. Their number was estimated to be over 25,000 at the start of the war. Additionally, according to health officials in Gaza, who report their statistics without distinguishing between militants and ordinary citizens, over 39,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli attack on Gaza.