New Iran president Pezeshkian sworn in, vows to remove Western nuclear sanctions

President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered his first major public speech since his election win earlier this month

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Masoud Pezeshkian delivers his inaugural address after being sworn in as Iran’s president. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 1:13am, 31 Jul 2024Updated: 10:09am, 31 Jul 2024

Iran swore in the country’s new president on Tuesday, with the reformist politician and heart surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian pledging that his administration will keep trying to remove economic sanctions imposed by the West over Tehran’s controversial nuclear programme.

Pezeshkian delivered a speech after taking his oath in a ceremony at the parliament in Tehran, Iran’s capital. He said he considers the normalisation of economic relations with the world to be Iran’s inalienable right.

“I will not stop trying to remove the oppressive sanctions,” he said. “I am optimistic about the future.”

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Sunday officially endorsed Pezeshkian, urging him to prioritise neighbours, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have “supported and helped” Iran in Tehran’s foreign relations policies.

The swearing-in ceremony at the parliament in Tehran, Iran. Photo: Xinhua

Pezeshkian, a long-time lawmaker, won the July presidential election after his predecessor Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a May helicopter crash that sparked the early election. He has two weeks to form his Cabinet for a vote of confidence in parliament.

The sanctions have hit Iran’s vital oil exports, blocked transactions on international banking networks and spurred inflation, which is running at about 40 per cent. The dollar is being traded for 584,000 Iranian rials, a dramatic plunge for the country’s currency.