The priority of Iran’s foreign policy is the development of relations with neighboring states, countries of Africa and Asia and those that support Tehran during the pressure exerted on it; relations with Europe are not named as a priority, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ali Khamenei said during the confirmation ceremony of the country’s elected President Massoud Pezeshkiana.
⠀
This ceremony is a mandatory step preceding the inauguration ceremony of the new president, which is scheduled to take place on July 30.
⠀
“We have priorities in foreign policy. One of our priorities is our neighbors… We must work on relations with neighbors… Another priority is relations with countries that can expand our diplomatic arena, such as African and Asian countries. .. One of the priorities is strong relations with the countries that have supported us over these years and helped us during the pressure (exposed to us), Khamenei said.
⠀
The Supreme Leader of Iran noted that he did not mention relations with European countries among his foreign policy priorities. He stressed that this does not mean Iran is hostile towards these countries.
⠀
“The reason I don’t mention the European countries as a priority is because during these few years they have not treated us well… In matters of sanctions, in oil, in (other) various issues, in false statements, concerning, for example, human rights… they acted badly,” Khamenei explained, adding that if European countries do not behave in a similar manner, relations with them will also be among the priorities of Iranian foreign policy.
⠀
At the same time, the Supreme Leader clarified that Tehran will not forget the torment caused by some countries.
⠀
The ceremony for the confirmation of the new President of Iran by the Supreme Leader opened with the reading of the Koran. Then the country’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi presented a report on the past elections, which included statistics on the work of the election committee inside and outside Iran, and also spoke about the election activities of the candidates.
⠀
The order of the Supreme Leader on the appointment of Masoud Pezeshkian as the ninth president of Iran was read by the head of Khamenei’s administration, Mohammad Golpayegani, after which the elected president received the order of his appointment from the hands of the Supreme Leader.
⠀
Iran’s new president, an ethnic Azerbaijani, gave a speech during which he fluently switched between Persian and Arabic. He quoted passages from the Koran, read a short poem by the 13th-century Persian Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi, thanked the country’s Supreme Leader, recalled the important role of fallen Iranian warriors, whose image has become an integral part of Iran’s cultural code, and also mentioned the words of the widely revered Iranian Shia son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammad, Imam Ali, about serving people.
⠀
The ceremony was attended by more than 2,500 officials, including ambassadors from various countries, government officials, representatives of the military sphere and a number of economic sectors, university professors and family members of fallen soldiers.
⠀
The head of the Iranian electoral commission, Mohsen Eslami, announced on July 7 that the reformist politician Pezeshkian won the second round of the early presidential elections in Iran, gaining 16,384,403 votes. According to Eslami, a total of 30,573,931 votes were counted, with a turnout of 49.8% of voters.
