Iran’s official media announced that President Ebrahim Raisi submitted his cabinet to parliament for a vote of confidence on Wednesday. Hossein Amir Abdollahian, a hardline diplomat, was named by Raisi as his nominee for Iran’s new foreign minister, according to the report.
Abdollahian previously served as Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab Affairs under Javad Zarif’s ministry. He is said to be favored by conservatives and close to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to the cabinet list published by state media, President Raisi also named former deputy oil minister and managing director of the state-run National Iranian Gas Company, Javad Owji, as oil minister.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency published the full list of Raisi’s proposed cabinets as follows: Seyed Ehsan Khandoozi for Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, Hojjatoleslam Khatib for Minister of Intelligence, Eesa Zarepoor for Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Hossein Baghgoli for Minister of Education, Amin Hossein Rahimi for Minister of Justice, Ahmad Vahidi for Interior Minister, Ali Akbar Mehrabian for Minister of Energy.
The state TV said that the list would be officially announced in parliament on Saturday.
Iran’s lawmakers have a week to consider to proposed cabinet before an open session for the vote of confidence.
On August 5, Iran’s new president Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in at a ceremony held in Parliament. With Raisi’s presidency, the anti-Western bloc in the country can be said to have taken control of all branches of power in Iran.
In his speech made during the oath ceremony, Raisi stated that he would spend efforts to halt US sanctions. Negotiations with P5+1 countries to revive the 2015 nuclear deal were stalled after the June 18 presidential election. The US side warned Raisi to restart the talks in a short time, by saying that this progress will not go on indefinitely.
Like the Supreme Leader, Raisi previously stated that he also supported the nuclear talks. However, he is expected to assume a tougher attitude in the talks.
While the new foreign minister’s role in nuclear talks in Vienna is not clear, it is highly likely that the Supreme National Security Council would be the running point, not the ministry.
