Iran president presents cabinet to parliament for approval

TEHRAN

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian presented his cabinet to parliament on Sunday, notably including a woman and a Western-friendly diplomat as the country's foreign minister.

Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced the names of the 19-member cabinet presented by the president during an assembly session broadcast live on state television.

For the post of foreign minister, Pezeshkian has named Abbas Araghchi, a 61-year-old career diplomat who has led nuclear negotiations since 2013.

Known for his openness to the West, he played a pivotal role in the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that was torpedoed three years later by the U.S.’ decision to withdraw from it.

Pezeshkian has also nominated one woman, Farzaneh Sadegh, who would become only the second Iranian woman to hold a ministerial post since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979. The 48-year-old is set to head the Roads and Urban Development Ministry.

The reformist president has named as his future interior minister General Eskandar Momeni, a 60-year-old police commander and former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Parliament is set to begin reviewing candidates today and submit them to a vote by lawmakers starting on Aug. 17.

In Iran, the vote of confidence is performed by each minister individually, rather than the government as a whole.

Pezeshkian, who took office in late July, had advocated during the election campaign to open Iran up to the world, granting full support from reformist politicians in the country.

On the other hand, Pezeshkian’s cabinet list received a criticism from reformists.

In a statement shared on X, Reform Front spokesperson Jawad Imam said some of candidate minister “have nothing to do with reform” and are not even close to the moderate approach.

“Others are known to be fundamentally opposed to any change and reform.”

"If politics will be controlled by the army and the militias, and if the security approach towards political activists within the system will not be changed, what was the need to hold elections and impose so much cost on the country and play with the emotions of the people, especially the youth?” he asked.