Masoud Pezeshkian
Masoud Pezeshkian | |
---|---|
مسعود پزشکیان | |
![]() Pezeshkian in 2024 | |
President-elect of Iran | |
Assuming office TBA | |
Supreme Leader | Ali Khamenei |
Succeeding | Mohammad Mokhber (acting) |
Member of the Parliament of Iran | |
Assumed office 27 May 2008 | |
Constituency | Tabriz, Osku and Azarshahr, (East Azerbaijan) |
Majority | 261,605 (36.27%) |
Minister of Health and Medical Education | |
In office 22 August 2001 – 24 August 2005 | |
President | Mohammad Khatami |
Preceded by | Mohammad Farhadi |
Succeeded by | Kamran Bagheri Lankarani |
Personal details | |
Born | Mahabad, West Azerbaijan, Iran | 29 September 1954
Children | 4[1] |
Alma mater | Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Iran University of Medical Sciences |
Profession | Heart surgeon |
Website | drpezeshkian |
Masoud Pezeshkian (Persian: مسعود پزشکیان; born 29 September 1954) is an Iranian heart surgeon and reformist politician who is currently President-elect of Iran. Before that, Pezeshkian was representing Tabriz, Osku and Azarshahr electoral district in the Parliament of Iran, and also served as its First Deputy Speaker from 2016 to 2020. He was Minister of Health and Medical Education between 2001 and 2005 in the Government of Mohammad Khatami.[2] Pezeshkian was elected governor to both Piranshahr and Naghadeh counties in West Azerbaijan province during the 1980s.[3] He ran in the 2013 presidential election, but withdrew, and ran again in the 2021 election, but was rejected.[4] Pezeshkian qualified in 2024, and won the 2024 presidential election on 5 July 2024.
Early life and education
Pezeshkian was born in West Azerbaijan on 29 September 1954[5] to an Iranian Azerbaijani parents.[6] In 1973, he received his diploma and moved to Zabol to serve his conscription duty. It was during this time when he became interested in medicine. After completing his service, he returned to his home province, where he entered medical school and graduated with a degree in general medicine. During the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), Pezeshkian frequently visited the front lines, where he was responsible for sending medical teams and working as a fighter and doctor. Pezeshkian finished his General practitioner course in 1985, and started teaching Physiology at the medical college.
Pezeshkian is fluent in both Azerbaijani and Kurdish languages.[7]
After the war, he continued his education, specializing in general surgery at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. In 1993, he received a subspecialty in cardiac surgery from Iran University of Medical Sciences. He later became a specialist in heart surgery, leading him to become president of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 1994, a position he held for five years.[8]
Career
Pezeshkian’s political journey began when he joined Mohammad Khatami’s administration as Deputy Health Minister in 1997. He was appointed Health Minister four years later, serving from 2001 to 2005.[9] Since then, he has been elected to the Iranian parliament five times, representing Tabriz, and served as the First Deputy Speaker of the parliament from 2016 to 2020.
On July 6 2024, Pezeshkian became the President of Iran after winning the July 5 run-off of the 2024 Iranian Presidential Election with 16.3 million votes (53.7%) to Saeed Jalili’s 13.5 million (44.3%).
Pezeshkian is a Quran teacher, and reciter of the Nahj al-balagha, a key text for Shia Muslims.[10] He is also a member of Iran-Turkey Friendship society.[11]
Views
IRGC
Pezeshkian is a supporter of the IRGC, and has called the current IRGC "different from the past".[12] He condemned the declaration of IRGC as a terrorist organization by United States in 2019.[13] After the 2019 Iranian shoot-down of American drone, Pezeshkian called the American government terrorist and described the IRGC's action to target the drone as "a strong punch to the mouths of the leaders of criminal America".[14] In a university meeting and in response to some criticisms, Pezeshkian put on the IRGC uniform, and said that he would wear it again.[15]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Masoud_pezeshkian.webp/220px-Masoud_pezeshkian.webp.png)
Critical of the system
Pezeshkian has criticized the system multiple times. During the protests after the presidential elections of 2009, in a speech, Pezeshkian criticized the way the protesters were treated. In his speech, he mentioned the words of the first Shiite Imam [Ali] addressed to Malik Ashtar that "Do not treat people like a wild animal".[16]
Pezeshkian considered Iran's method of managing the 2018 protests as "scientifically and intellectually wrong". He blamed the country's system for all the events and said, "We should have done better."[17] After the 2022 protests, Pezeshkian demanded the creation of an assessment and clarification team regarding the incident. Although he considered the way of dealing with the protestors and their trial to be contrary to the constitution and demanded that the defendants should get lawyers, he later issued an statement, condemned the protests and did not consider it to be in the people's interest.[18]
Ethnic view
Pezeshkian demands the implementation of Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution for all ethnicities. This principle says: "The official and common language and script of the people of Iran is Persian. Documents, correspondence, official texts and textbooks must be in this language and script, but the use of local and ethnic languages in the press and mass media and the teaching of their literature in schools is free, along with the Persian language." He called the implementation of this principle an obstacle to giving excuses to separatists and dissidents.[19] Pezeshkian also supports teaching of Azerbaijani language in Iranian schools.[4]
Personal life
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Iranian_MPs_Wear_IRGC_Uniforms_07.jpg/220px-Iranian_MPs_Wear_IRGC_Uniforms_07.jpg)
Pezeshkian's wife was a gynecologist.[20] In 1993, Pezeshkian lost his wife and one of his children in a car accident. He raised his remaining two sons and daughter alone and has never remarried.[21] His daughter, Zahra Pezeshkian, has a master's degree in chemistry from Sharif University of Technology, and was working at Jam Petrochemical before the Rouhani government came to power.
Pezeshkian is a fan of Tractor S.C.[22]
Public face
Sources consider his family to be far from the sidelines and himself to have a clear track record in economic matters. However, his political opponents such as Alireza Zakani have accused him of defending people involved in corruption.[23][24]
References
- ^ Ahangar, Ali. "مسعود پزشكيان؛ كسي كه مثل هيچ كس نيست". Etemaad Daily. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ "در مورد مسعود پزشکیان در ویکیتابناک بیشتر بخوانید" [Who is Masoud Pezeshkian?]. www.tabnak.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2024-06-10.
- ^ https://www.iranintl.com/en
- ^ a b "افراد ردصلاحیتشده فقط توانستند یک نامه بنویسند". Iranian Labour News Agency. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "مسعود پزشکیان کیست؟" [Who is Masoud Pezeshkian?]. Entekhab (in Persian). 21 May 2024. Archived from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ^ Editorial (2024-06-14). "The Guardian view on Iran's presidential election: more choice, but little real hope of change". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
- ^ https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-pezeshkian-profile-election/33012192.html
- ^ "در مورد مسعود پزشکیان در ویکیتابناک بیشتر بخوانید". www.tabnak.ir. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ "Persian Press Review". Tehran Times. 29 May 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
- ^ "Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian shakes up Iran presidential election". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ "گروههای دوستی پارلمانی مجلس نهم". Islamic Consultative Assembly Website. Archived from the original on 24 July 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ^ مسعود پزشکیان: من بازهم لباس سپاه میپوشم/ سپاه با چیزی که الآن میبینید متفاوت است (in Persian). 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-06-13 – via www.rokna.net.
- ^ "ملت با قدرت از سپاه مقتدر دفاع میکند". www.alef.ir. 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
- ^ "پزشکیان: سپاه مشت محکمی به دهان یاوهگوییهای آمریکا زد/ طنین شعار «مرگ بر آمریکا» در مجلس". www.alef.ir. 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
- ^ "پزشکیان: من بازهم لباس سپاه میپوشم؛ سپاه اگر نبود کشور تجزیه شده بود". اصلاحات نیوز (in Persian). 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
- ^ Mehrabi, Ehsan (2024-06-10). "Who is Masoud Pezeshkian, the Only Pro-Reform Candidate?". Iran Wire.
- ^ "انتخابات ریاستجمهوری ایران؛ مهدی کروبی از نامزدی مسعود پزشکیان حمایت کرد". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 2024-06-19. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
- ^ Dagres, Holly (2024-06-19). "Masoud Pezeshkian is a possible game changer in the upcoming Iranian presidential election". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
- ^ رادیوفردا (2018-04-25). "پزشکیان: اصل ۱۵ قانون اساسی برای همه اجرا شود". رادیو فردا (in Persian). Retrieved 2024-06-16.
- ^ "مقامهای جمهوری اسلامی و همسرانشان؛ مردان نامدار و زنان 'بینام'". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). Retrieved 2024-06-13.
- ^ "مسعود پزشکیان", ویکیپدیا، دانشنامهٔ آزاد (in Persian), 2024-06-13, retrieved 2024-06-13
- ^ "پزشکیان: اکثر بازیهای تراکتور را با نوهام محمدحسین به استادیوم میرویم /با هم بحث میکنیم؛ نقدم میکند، اما هیچوقت دعوا نمیکنیم - خبرآنلاین". www.khabaronline.ir. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
- ^ "دفاع تأسفبار پزشکیان از 2 نماینده مجلس متهم به فساد مالی در بازار خودرو!". رکنا (in Persian). 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
- ^ جهان, Fararu | فرارو | اخبار روز ایران و (2024-06-16). "حمله زاکانی به پزشکیان: از یک بیعدالتی محض دفاع میکرد". fa (in Persian). Retrieved 2024-06-16.
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- Living people
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- 1954 births
- Iranian reformists
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