The Iranian Guardian Council has announced the approval of the results of the presidential elections won by reformist Masoud Pezeshkian.
On Sunday, the elected president began his meetings with officials and political figures, in preparation for the transfer of presidential powers and the formation of the new government.
“The validity of the second round of the 14th presidential election has been approved by the Constitutional Council,” spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif told state television.
He noted that no candidate had lodged any complaints or reported any violations to the Council.
The Guardian Council – a non-elected body of which Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei chooses half of its 12 members - supervises the implementation of the elections, decides on the eligibility of candidates, monitors Parliament’s legislation, and resolves disputes between the government and lawmakers.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place after the president-elect receives an official endorsement by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
IRNA news agency quoted Mojtaba Yousefi, a member of the presidential body in parliament, as saying that the president will take oath in the first week of August.
Meanwhile, Khamenei met on Sunday with acting President Mohammed Mokhber and members of the outgoing government, praising the late President, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19.
Khamenei expressed his satisfaction with Raisi’s performance, describing him as a hard worker who sought to solve the problems of the general public, and had deep belief in the country’s capabilities.
Regarding foreign policy, Khamenei said that Raisi acted while “taking into account interaction and dignity at the same time.” He added: “Some prominent leaders in the world mention Raisi as an important figure and not as an ordinary politician.”
Pezeshkian, 69, pledged to adopt a pragmatic foreign policy, ease tensions related to the now-stalled negotiations with the major powers to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement, and improve the prospects for social freedoms and political pluralism.
However, many Iranians doubt his ability to fulfill his electoral promises, as Khamenei has the highest authority in the Islamic Republic.
European Union spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali said that the 27-member bloc is “ready to engage with the new government in line with EU policy of critical engagement.”
