What is known about Iran's newly elected president: Who is Masoud Pezeshkian

Masoud Pezeshkian is 69 years old. He was born on September 29, 1954, in Mahabad (northwestern Iran, West Azerbaijan province) and was raised in a family with an Azerbaijani father and a Kurdish mother. According to the Associated Press, the elected president of Iran speaks Azerbaijani and has long been involved in issues concerning Iran's national minorities.

During the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), he served as a military doctor. He later became a heart surgeon and, in 1994, led the University of Medical Sciences in Tabriz. He entered politics in the early 2000s as the country’s Deputy Minister of Health. During President Mohammad Khatami's administration, he served as Iran's Minister of Health.

Political analysts often describe him as a more independent political figure. Since 2008, Pezeshkian has been a member of the Iranian Parliament, serving as the first deputy speaker from 2016 to 2020. In 2013, he registered as a presidential candidate but later withdrew his candidacy. In 2021, authorities barred him and other notable candidates from participating in the elections, which helped former president Ebrahim Raisi win with ease, as noted by the AP.

Regarding the dual role of a reformist politician in Iran, CNN reports that Pezeshkian gained prominence by speaking out against the violence related to the death of Mahsa Amini. The girl died in 2022 after being arrested for violating laws restricting women's clothing. Amini's death sparked months of protests across Iran. According to the United Nations, hundreds of people have been killed, and thousands arrested as authorities attempted to suppress the protests.

During the protests in 2022, Pezeshkian stated in an interview with Iranian IRINN television that what happened was “our fault [because] we want to impose religious beliefs through force. This is scientifically impossible,” he said at the time. Pezeshkian also emphasized that in the Islamic Republic, “it is unacceptable to arrest a girl for wearing a hijab and then hand over her body to the family.”

However, just a few days later, as protests erupted nationwide, Pezeshkian warned that those who “insult the Supreme Leader” would create “nothing but long-lasting anger and hatred in society.” This position, the AP writes, illustrates the dual role of the reformist politician in Iran's theocracy: he expresses a desire for change but never fundamentally challenges the system controlled by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In Iran, the president is the second face of the state, while the Supreme Leader makes decisions regarding state strategy. Reuters reports that under Iran's dual governance system, clerical and republican, the president cannot achieve serious changes in Iran's nuclear program or policies supporting militant groups in the Middle East, as the Supreme Leader makes all decisions on the government's highest priorities.

However, the president can influence the tone of Iran's policies. In particular, he will have a direct role in selecting Khamenei's successor, who is currently 85 years old. After the first round of the presidential elections, Pezeshkian stated that the authorities “will respect the laws regarding hijab.”

The new president has promised to end Iran's