WANA (July 06) – Massoud Pezeshkian, the new President of Iran, has a rich political history, representing the Tabriz, Azarshahr, and Osku constituencies in the 8th, 9th, 10th (Deputy Speaker), 11th, and 12th parliaments.

 

He also served as Minister of Health in the 8th government (Reformist era) and headed the Shaheed Madani Heart Hospital in Tabriz.

A poster featuring presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian is displayed on a street in Tehran, Iran, July 4, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Pezeshkian holds a professional doctorate in medicine and a general surgery speciality from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and a subspecialty in cardiac surgery from Iran University of Medical Sciences.

 

He registered to run for president twice in the 11th (2013) and 13th (2021) elections.

 

In 2013, before the list of qualified candidates was announced, he withdrew from the race in favour of Hashemi Rafsanjani. In 2021, the Guardian Council did not qualify him.