Iran's supreme leader endorses reformist Pezeshkian as new president

Iran's supreme leader has formally endorsed Masoud Pezeshkian as president, allowing the reformist politician and heart surgeon to take charge of a country weakened by economic sanctions over its nuclear program.

During an endorsement ceremony, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritize neighbors, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have "supported and helped" Iran in Tehran's foreign relations policies.

Khamenei criticized European nations for "behaving badly to us" by adopting sanctions, an oil embargo and for calling out alleged human rights abuses.

He also condemned Israel for its actions in Gaza in the deaths of children, women and hospitalized people "who did not shoot a single bullet" against Israeli forces.

"The Zionist regime is showing its ugliest face as a war criminal," said Khamenei, accusing Israel of setting a "new record in assassinations" and cruelty. He also denounced the U.S. Congress for allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the legislative body.

Speaking at the same ceremony, Pezeshkian paid homage to Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the architect of Iran's regional military activities, who was killed in U.S. drone attack in 2020. He reiterated his promise to pursue a "constructive and efficient" foreign policy, bolster the rule of law offer equal opportunities to citizens, support families and protect the environment.

In his first official act in office, Pezeshkian appointed Mohammad Reza Aref, 72, as his first vice-president. Aref, who's considered a moderate reformist, held the post between 2001-2005 under former president Mohammad Khatami. Aref holds a doctorate in engineering from Stanford University.

Pezeshkian takes over from his predecessor Ebrahim Raisi whose death in a May helicopter crash that sparked the early election. He will take the oath of office in parliament Tuesday and will have two weeks to form his own cabinet for a vote of confidence in parliament.

The new Iranian president pledged in his election campaign that he would make no radical changes to Iran's Shiite theocracy, embracing Khamenei as the final arbiter in all matters of state. Pezeshkian could bend Iran's foreign policy toward either confrontation or collaboration with the West and faces the constant challenge of hard-liners still pulling the strings in government.

Pezeshkian has tried to walk the line between hard-liners and reformists with whom he has identified. He has repeatedly criticized the U.S. while praising Iran's powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard for shooting down a U.S. drone in 2019 which he called a "strong punch in the mount of the Americans."

Among the pressing challenges Pezeshkian faces is the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and Western fears over enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels with enough of a stockpile to produce several nuclear weapons if it chose.

In April, Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israel over the war in Gaza, while militia groups armed by Tehran — including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen's Houthi rebels — have stepped up their own attacks.

Iran has held indirect talks with U.S. President Joe Biden's administration over its nuclear program but there's been no progress in lifting tough economic sanctions against Tehran.