Iranian media reports say the inauguration ceremony of Masoud Pezeshkian, the ninth President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is scheduled to be held today at 6 p.m. local time at the Iranian parliament.
The inauguration of new presidents in Iran has two steps. First Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei approves the president-elect in an endorsement ceremony (Tanfiz) and then the new president takes oath of office before the parliament (Tahlif)
The Majlis (the Iranian Parliament) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tasked a joint committee to invite presidents, parliament speakers, foreign ministers, and other officials of various countries to take part in Pezeshkian’s inauguration ceremony.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gave the official mandate for the presidency to Masoud Pezeshkian on July 28 in a ceremony attended by various officials and dignitaries.
During the ceremony — called Tanfiz, Ali Khamenei handed over a decree, known as the “decree of confirmation” or “decree of validation”, to the president-elect, formally recognizing him as the legitimate president.
The ceremony started with Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi delivering a report on the process of snap election following the death of late President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19 along with his accompanying delegation including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Following Vahidi's speech, Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, the head of Khamenei's office, read out the decree issued by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, officially confirming the appointment.
The new president then delivered a speech, emphasizing that he will follow Khamenei's orders and calling for the resolution of political differences. “The responsibility that the Constitution has placed on me is to move towards the clear path outlined by the Supreme Leader.”
The Tanfiz ceremony is followed by Tahlif slated for July 30, when Pezeshkian swears in before the parliament. During Tahlif, the newly elected president takes an oath before the Parliament (Majlis) in the presence of the head of the judiciary and the members of the Guardian Council, promising to uphold the constitution and faithfully execute his duties as the head of state.
Both ceremonies are essential in the transition of presidential power, ensuring both legal and symbolic legitimacy for the incoming president.
According to IRNA, over 2,500 attendees are expected, including national and military officials, heads and professors from religious and academic institutions, representatives from various sectors, families of martyrs, and foreign ambassadors stationed in Tehran.
The state media also said that 70 foreign delegations from different countries and international organizations will attend the swearing-in ceremony.
According to Deputy Speaker for Administrative Affairs in Parliament Alireza Sharifi-Barzegar, more than 70 foreign delegations and 600 domestic and foreign journalists are confirmed to attend the inauguration ceremony.
The representative of the reformist camp, Masoud Pezeshkian, won a runoff election on July 5 against Saeed Jalili of the conservative camp to replace President Ebrahim Raisi. Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly secured more than 16 million votes, or about 54 percent of the roughly 30 million ballots cast.
