Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has formally endorsed Hassan Rouhani as president, paving the way for him to take office for a second term as the head of Iran’s 12th administration.
During a Thursday ceremony, Ayatollah Khamenei gave his official approval for the president-elect by giving him a decree to assign him his duties.
In May, Rouhani won re-election in a landslide after securing 57 percent of the votes and defeating his main contender Ebrahim Raeisi, the current custodian of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH).
Under Iran’s election law, the president-elect is required to gain the Leader’s official approval before being sworn in before the Parliament (Majlis). Through this process, called Tanfiz (validation), the Leader affirms the outcome of the presidential election.
During the ceremony, Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammadi-Golpayegani, the head of Ayatollah Khamenei’s office, read out the decree issued by the Leader to the participants.
Rouhani, a 68-year-old moderate, won a convincing victory over his hardline opponent Ebrahim Raisi in May, vowing to continue his efforts to rebuild ties with the West and promote civil liberties at home.
However, he has already faced considerable pushback from conservative opponents and now faces mounting threats from the United States, which passed fresh sanctions against Iran on Wednesday, August 2.
