Raisi inaugurated as Iran president
Published: 04:08 PM,Aug 03,2021 | EDITED : 08:08 PM,Aug 03,2021
Iran’s new President Ebrahim Raisi receives the endorsement decree for his presidency from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, on Tuesday. — Reuters
TEHRAN: Ebrahim Raisi was on Tuesday inaugurated as president of Iran. “Following the people’s choice, I task the wise, indefatigable, experienced and popular Hojatoleslam Ebrahim Raisi as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote in a decree read out by his chief of staff.
Raisi replaces Hassan Rouhani, whose landmark achievement was the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and six major powers.
From the outset, Raisi will have to tackle negotiations aimed at reviving the nuclear deal from which the US unilaterally withdrew imposing sweeping sanctions.
Raisi, in his inauguration speech, said the new government would seek to lift “oppressive” US sanctions, but would “not tie the nation’s standard of living to the will of foreigners”.
“We believe the people’s economic position is unfavourable both because of the hostility of our enemies and because of the shortcomings and problems inside the country,” he said.
In his response, Khamenei acknowledged Iran suffered from “many shortcomings and problems,” but quickly added: “The country’s capabilities are even more numerous.
“Fixing economic problems takes time and cannot be done overnight,” he said.
Raisi won a presidential election in June in which more than half the electorate stayed away after many heavyweights were barred from standing.
A former judiciary chief, he has been criticised by the West for his human rights record.
Tuesday’s ceremony marked Raisi’s formal accession to office. He will next be sworn in before parliament on Thursday when he is to submit his proposed government line-up.
ECONOMY TOP CHALLENGE
Iran’s economic woes, exacerbated by US sanctions, will be the new president’s top challenge, said Clement Therme, a researcher at the European University Institute in Italy.
“His main objective will be to improve the economic situation by reinforcing the Islamic republic’s economic relations with neighbouring countries” and others such as Russia and China, Therme said.
The 2015 deal saw Iran accept curbs on its nuclear capabilities in return for an easing of sanctions.
But then US president Donald Trump withdrew from the accord three years later and ramped up sanctions again, prompting Tehran to pull back from most of its nuclear commitments. — AFP
Raisi replaces Hassan Rouhani, whose landmark achievement was the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and six major powers.
From the outset, Raisi will have to tackle negotiations aimed at reviving the nuclear deal from which the US unilaterally withdrew imposing sweeping sanctions.
Raisi, in his inauguration speech, said the new government would seek to lift “oppressive” US sanctions, but would “not tie the nation’s standard of living to the will of foreigners”.
“We believe the people’s economic position is unfavourable both because of the hostility of our enemies and because of the shortcomings and problems inside the country,” he said.
In his response, Khamenei acknowledged Iran suffered from “many shortcomings and problems,” but quickly added: “The country’s capabilities are even more numerous.
“Fixing economic problems takes time and cannot be done overnight,” he said.
Raisi won a presidential election in June in which more than half the electorate stayed away after many heavyweights were barred from standing.
A former judiciary chief, he has been criticised by the West for his human rights record.
Tuesday’s ceremony marked Raisi’s formal accession to office. He will next be sworn in before parliament on Thursday when he is to submit his proposed government line-up.
ECONOMY TOP CHALLENGE
Iran’s economic woes, exacerbated by US sanctions, will be the new president’s top challenge, said Clement Therme, a researcher at the European University Institute in Italy.
“His main objective will be to improve the economic situation by reinforcing the Islamic republic’s economic relations with neighbouring countries” and others such as Russia and China, Therme said.
The 2015 deal saw Iran accept curbs on its nuclear capabilities in return for an easing of sanctions.
But then US president Donald Trump withdrew from the accord three years later and ramped up sanctions again, prompting Tehran to pull back from most of its nuclear commitments. — AFP