On Tuesday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei endorsed Ebrahim Raisi as the 8th president of the Islamic Republic of Iran in a ceremony held at the Imam Khomenei Husseiniya. Several high-level Iranian officials, including the judiciary chief, the Parliament Speaker, Secretary of the Guardian Council, former president Hassan Rouhani, members of the Assembly of Experts and the Parliament, and foreign ambassadors in Tehran attended the ceremony.
The Supreme Leader issued a decree, confirming the presidency of hardliner former judiciary chief Raisi. In the decree, Ayatollah Khamenei underlined that Iran needs “competent, intelligent, and courageous management,” which could unveil the hidden capabilities of his nation. Stating that Iranian people displayed their commitment to the values of the Revolution by electing a distinguished personage, the Supreme Leader said, “the management should work to eliminate the obstacles in the way of production, follow policies which would strengthen the national currency, the middle and lower classes of the society.”
Iran’s new president Ebrahim Raisi delivered a speech after receiving endorsement by the Supreme Leader. In his speech, Raisi praised the June 18 elections. Defining the elections as a victory of religious democracy, he said that the Iranian people gave a strong message for people who sought a change in the country. Touching upon the US sanctions as well, Ebrahim Raisi added, “We will seek to lift the tyrannical sanctions imposed by America, … and will not allow the outsiders to decide the future of the livelihood of people.”
According to Iran’s constitution, the president-elect has to receive the Supreme Leader’s approval prior to taking office.
On Thursday, Raisi will take an oath in a separate ceremony to be held in the Iranian Parliament. Then, he will have a week to present his cabinet to parliament for a vote of confidence.
The former chief of Iran’s judiciary won around 62% percent of votes in the June 18 election, in which the turnout remained as low as 49 percent.
