Photo: Atta Kenare Agence France-Presse Massoud Pezeshkian won the second round of the presidential elections on July 5, replacing President Ebrahim Raïssi, killed in a helicopter accident in May.
Amir Vahdat – Associated Press in Tehran
Posted at 8:53 p.m.
- Middle East
The newly elected Iranian president pledged to create “balance in relations with all countries” in accordance with national interests and preconditions for peace, but reminded the United States that his country will not give in to pressure.
Massoud Pezeshkian signed the text entitled “My message to the new world”, in the newspaper Tehran Times Friday evening, welcoming the last presidential election and pledging to keep the promises made during his campaign.
Mr. Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old heart surgeon and longtime lawmaker, defeated former nuclear negotiator Said Jalili to win a July 5 runoff election. He thus replaces President Ebrahim Raïssi, killed in a helicopter accident in May.
In his text, the new leader maintained that his administration would give priority to strengthening relationships with its neighbors. He urged Arab countries to use “all diplomatic levers” to press for a lasting ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7 .
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Iran has long supported the Hamas militant group, and Pezeshkian on Wednesday expressed his full support for the Palestinian resistance in a message to the group's leader, Ismaël Haniyeh.
Mr. Pezeshkian, in his Friday letter, praised his country's relations with Russia and China, which “has always supported [Tehran] in difficult times.”
He called Moscow a “valuable strategic ally” and said his government would expand bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
He also expressed his willingness to support initiatives aimed at achieving peace between Russia and Ukraine.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000Mr. Pezeshkian hopes to strengthen cooperation with Beijing and congratulated it for negotiating an agreement aimed at normalizing relations between Tehran and Saudi Arabia after seven years of diplomatic tensions.
A message to the United States and Europe
The new president said he looked forward to engaging in a constructive, principled dialogue with European countries of mutual respect, despite a relationship that has had “up and downs.”
In May 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the Action Plan Joint Global Agreement, a nuclear agreement in which Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France and Germany also participate. Since then, Western powers have accused the Islamic Republic of expanding its nuclear program and enriching uranium to an unprecedented 60 percent purity, just a technical step away from weapons-grade levels. The United States has imposed severe sanctions, mainly economic, against Iran.
Massoud Pezeshkian accused European countries of reneging on their commitments to ensure “efficient banking transactions, effective protection of companies from US sanctions and promotion of investments in Iran” following the US withdrawal. However, he added that there were still many opportunities for cooperation between Iran and Europe.
He then addressed the United States, emphasizing his country's refusal to “respond to pressure,” and adding that Iran joined the 2015 Vienna Iran Nuclear Accord in good faith and has fully fulfilled its obligations. The newly elected president argued that the U.S. withdrawal inflicted “hundreds of billions of dollars of damage” on the Iranian economy and caused “untold suffering, death, and destruction” due to sanctions.
According to Mr. Pezeshkian, Western countries have not only missed a historic opportunity to reduce and manage tensions in the region and the world, but have also “seriously undermined the non-proliferation treaty”. He stressed that “Iran's defense doctrine does not include nuclear weapons.”
Iran has held indirect talks with the administration of President Joe Biden, although there has been no clear movement toward limiting Tehran's nuclear program with a view to lifting economic sanctions.
The Iranian leader also accused the US administration in his open letter of leading to an escalation of hostilities by assassinating General Qassem Soleimani, the architect of Iran's regional military activities, who was killed in a drone strike American in neighboring Iraq in 2020.
Convince the Iranian population
In addition to regional unrest and strained relations over Iran's nuclear program, President Pezeshkian faces many challenges at the local level.
He must now convince an angry people – including many people who find themselves in financial difficulties due to sanctions, high inflation and unemployment – that he can deliver the promised changes while remaining an administration still largely governed by hardliners.
Massoud Pezeshkian has aligned himself with other moderate and reformist figures since his presidential campaign. His main ally has been former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who concluded the 2015 Vienna Treaty.
Mr. Zarif was appointed to head the Strategic Council for the administration's transition period. The council, composed of experts and advisors, will focus on evaluating potential candidates for key cabinet positions and ensure a transparent handover of powers.