Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist-backed candidate, has been elected as Iran’s new president. His candidacy gained traction partly due to former President Mohammad Khatami’s boycott of the parliamentary elections in May, which influenced Pezeshkian’s approval to run.
Pezeshkian stands out in the presidential race with his unique rhetoric, fresh perspective as a new candidate, and strong support from reformists. His relative newness to the public sphere has resulted in a lower negative vote among the electorate. However, opinions are mixed; while some reformist doctors back him, some conservative doctors support his opponents.
One of Pezeshkian’s advantages is his family’s clean record regarding corruption and the fact that his children live in Iran. Despite these strengths, he faced challenges such as being alone in election debates and the difficult task of convincing a diverse voter base.
Pezeshkian only became widely known after 2001 when he was considered for the Ministry of Health under President Mohammad Khatami’s second term. His distinctive appearance and behavior, such as not wearing a suit, set him apart from other ministers. Mohammad Reza Khatami, the president’s brother, supported Pezeshkian for the ministry due to disagreements with the then-current Health Minister, Mohammad Farhadi.
Pezeshkian’s fiery personality was evident when he famously remarked: “When I was a student, I would slap the university president. When I became the university president, I would slap the president. Now that I have become a minister, I will slap Clinton in the face.” This comment led to jokes in parliament and contributed to his impeachment due to issues with appointments, drug policies, medical tariffs, and foreign trips.
Despite the impeachment efforts, which coincided with unrest in Tehran and the attack on the Allameh University dormitory, Pezeshkian retained his position with support from Behzad Nabavi, the deputy speaker of Parliament. Nabavi argued that the impeachment issues were not the country’s most pressing problems.
Pezeshkian did not hold a position in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government. In a later interview, he criticized the government for allowing officials to earn substantial amounts of money with minimal work, citing this as a reason for his candidacy in the 8th parliamentary elections.
In 2008, Pezeshkian defended Salman Khodadadi, whose credentials were under scrutiny due to accusations of rape and sexual harassment. Despite the controversy, Khodadadi’s credentials were eventually approved by the majority of representatives.
Following the 2009 presidential election and protests, Pezeshkian’s passionate speech criticizing the treatment of protesters briefly disrupted a parliamentary session. He quoted the First Imam of Shia Islam, advising against harsh treatment of people.
Pezeshkian was elected deputy speaker of the 10th Parliament in 2016. Although initially disqualified from the 12th Parliament elections in March this year, he was later confirmed. There were speculations about his approval being influenced by Ali Khamenei, but Pezeshkian has stated that he is unsure of the exact reasons for his qualification confirmation.
