Iran’s supreme leader officially names Raisi as incoming president

Ayo Oluokun

August 3, 2021

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Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has officially confirmed Ebrahim Raisi as the Islamic Republic’s incoming President.

The confirmation was made on Tuesday at a ceremony in Tehran, attended by outgoing President Hassan Rowhani.

The supreme leader noted that Raisi would take oath of office during his inauguration scheduled for Thursday.

The 60-year-old Raisi won the presidential election in June with almost 62 per cent of the vote.

He was also expected to present his Cabinet soon.

Khamenei was head of state, the military’s commander-in-chief and the country’s highest spiritual authority.

Raisi was said to have been responsible for numerous arrests and execution of political dissidents while in his former position as a public prosecutor.

Politically, he was a largely unknown entity. However, in recent years, he sharply criticised Rowhani’s moderate course on several occasions, including the country’s 2015 nuclear agreement with other countries. (dpa/NAN)