The News
Iran’s new president Masoud Pezeshkian was inaugurated before parliament Tuesday, two days after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave his official blessing to the doctor-turned-politician for the job, hailing him as “wise, honest, popular, and scholarly” at a ceremony in Tehran.
Widely seen as the most pro-reform candidate to run in the recent elections, Pezeshkian received nearly 3 million votes more than the other frontrunner, hardliner Saeed Jalil, in a run-off vote.
SIGNALS
Pezeshkian may present small window of opportunity for change
Although it is broadly true that as president, Pezeshkian is under Khamenei’s thumb, his election may nevertheless one day be remembered as the moment when the Islamic Republic “decisively shifted” to become a regime governed by a coalition of moderates, Foreign Affairs wrote. Still, the significance of his victory shouldn’t be overstated — turnout was low, and he benefited from rifts splitting the right-wing vote. But despite the slim odds of any change coming to pass, activists believe it exists: “We do not expect the Islamic Republic to go anywhere…But we want to change the few things we can that will make our lives easier, and give us room to breathe,” one told the outlet.
Pezeshkian’s plan for diverse cabinet has already stoked backlash
An “early test” of Pezeshkian’s promise of more inclusivity will be his choice of cabinet, The Economist wrote; recruiting women and ethnic minorities would be a good sign. But early indications that Pezeshkian might keep his promise have already stoked controversy, columnist Arash Azizi noted in Emirati outlet The National: His hardline opponents leapt to criticize talk of affirmative action, and an Iranian news agency linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps carried the headline “Zero points for Shia.” If Pezeshkian succeeds, some of Iran’s more rebellious groups could be less distrustful of the country’s institutions, but ultimately “the path toward broad-based civic inclusion remains long” for minorities like the Baha’i, who are denied basic rights, Azizi argued.
‘Slim hope’ of improved relations with the West
Pezeshkian’s inauguration also creates a “slim hope” of rapprochement with the West, given he was elected on a platform of seeking relief from US sanctions, The Guardian’s diplomatic editor wrote. The West should respond by creating viable pathways to that end, on the condition that Iran immediately rolls back its nuclear program, a Middle East expert told the outlet. But Pezeshkian’s tone toward the West may ultimately remain “a familiar mix of warnings and historical grievances typical of Islamic Republic officials,” criticizing the US while denying that Iran wants nuclear weapons, and insist that the US must take the first step to repair relations, an expert argued in the European Leadership Network.