By Adnan Sami
The reformist and former heart surgeon, Masoud Pezeshkian, was elected the new president of Iran in July 2024. He had served as the health minister of Iran from 2001 to 2005. He was elected in the latest election scheduled when the former President’s helicopter crashed in May 2024. ]
In the election, the opposing candidate,, a conservative leader received 14 million votes. Dr Pezeshkian was the only reformist candidate in all six contested in the election, the remaining candidates were conservative and clerics. He is a religious person but not a cleric. Pezeshkian is also the first non-clerical president since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Initially, during the first round of the election, the turnout was 40 percent. However, the turnout increased by 10 percent in the second round in which Pezeshkian received a 53 percent vote. In Iran, the president is the second most powerful person, following he most powerful person, the supreme leader of Iran Ayatollah Khamenei. Many scholars and experts described the new president as a reformist and moderate like Hassan Rohani. Meanwhile, the new president promised during his recent election campaign to the Iranian people that he would bring changes, and relegate the economic sanctions on Iran.
Therefore, many challenges are ahead to the former heart surgeon from the inside as well as from the outside on the promises he made to his people during the election campaign. But the question is still there, what he can do? And how much he will achieve?
He also promised his people to make poverty, war, discrimination; lies, and corruption disappear from this country. Furthermore, the president also seeks to engage in talks with the USA on a nuclear deal to mitigate the sanctions.
Meanwhile, the utmost and most significant task ahead os the new president is his engagement with the West on the nuclear deal. The other ultimate role of the president would be how he will bring reforms and flexibility to overcome the puzzle of the Hijab and other social changes, to confront the conservative and religious clerics including the supreme leader. The 69-year-old cardiac surgeon will perhaps soften and bring flexibility to societal freedom. He will not go against the Supreme Leader’s policies but will likely bring some reforms to enhance the reputation of the state.
Hence, the Iranian people selected Pezeshkian to bring reforms and flexibility, reduce the sanctions on Iran, and re-engage with the West as well as with other neighbouring states to bring peace to the region. However, Iran will likely continue its support to Hamas and Hezbollah to deter Israel from dominance. The continuation of its militant policy will not only deter Israel but also to sustain its explicit position to become the paragon of the region. However, to engage with Saudi Arabia, the president will likely follow the policies of his predecessor Ibrahim Raisi. After his winning the election, the Saudi leaders sent warm congratulations to the new president. Moving on to the other regional allies, the president will likely continue its support to the Syrian and Yemen allies to sustain Iran’s position in the region. According to the Supreme Leader, the presence of Quds forces is necessary for the country’s security doctrine. In Iran, the Supreme Leader has the ultimate authority to make any decision.
Discourse plays an important role in shaping domestic as well as foreign policy. The discourse of the new president will likely influence the Supreme Leader and perhaps he will agree with Pezeshkian on restoring talks over the nuclear deal and flexibility on a societal level. Furthermore, the Iranian economy is crippled due to a large number of US sanctions on Iran. The new president’s first task would be his re-engagement with Western prowess to get the states from dark puzzles. Despite the USA, the president will also continue his predecessor’s policy towards Russia and China. After winning the election, the Russian president sent congratulations to the newly elected president by saying that Russia always enjoys bilateral relations with Iran. On the other hand, the EU foreign minister also congratulates Mr. Pezeshkian and sought to establish robust relations with Iran.
However, no official statement has been recorded by the US government over the newly elected president. Hence, the US election is also to be held in November of this year and the two candidates, former President Trump who withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal, and the current President Biden will confront each other. If Trump is re-elected, the talks of re-engagement with Iran over the nuclear deal might obviate, because Trump was hard on Iran during his first tenure.
Therefore, many challenges are ahead to the former heart surgeon from the inside as well as from the outside on the promises he made to his people during the election campaign. But the question is still there, what he can do? And how much he will achieve?
