The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has nominated a moderate diplomat as Foreign Minister, along with a woman for the position of Minister of Roads and Urban Development, as he revealed his new cabinet lineup. The Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, announced the names of the 19-member cabinet during a session that was broadcast live on state television.
These nominations align with hopes that Pezeshkian’s election, following the hardline Ebrahim Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash in May, could lead to a thawing of Iran’s relations with the West. However, the parliament, which is dominated by hardliners, will begin reviewing the nominations from Monday and will subsequently vote on the approval of the new cabinet structure.
Pezeshkian has chosen Abbas Araghchi, a 61-year-old career diplomat, as Foreign Minister. Araghchi has previously emphasized open, yet critical dialogue with the West, and has served as the chief negotiator in nuclear talks between Tehran and global powers from 2013 to 2021. He has also held the position of Iran’s ambassador to Japan and Finland, as well as being the deputy to former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who played a key role in reaching the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement.
Farzaneh Sadegh has been nominated as Minister of Roads and Urban Development. If confirmed, the 48-year-old would become only the second Iranian woman to hold a ministerial position since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979, following Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi, who served as Health Minister in 2009. However, many lawmakers expressed opposition when her name was read during Sunday’s session.
The new cabinet nomination comes as the world awaits Iran’s next steps regarding the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran has angrily blamed Israel for the murder and vowed strong retaliation. Western leaders have urged restraint, warning that a military response from Iran could risk transforming the conflict in Gaza into a wider regional war.
Pezeshkian assumed office with promises to improve relations with the world and ease social restrictions at home. He is believed to be wary that a larger military confrontation with Israel could jeopardize his priorities. General Aziz Nasirzadeh, a former commander of the Iranian Air Defense, has been proposed as Minister of Defense, while President Pezeshkian has appointed General Eskandar Momeni, a 60-year-old police commander and relatively moderate former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as Minister of Interior. Mohsen Paknezhad, a 58-year-old director with a long career in the country’s energy sector, has been selected as Minister of Oil.
At the end of July, Pezeshkian announced that he would “consult and coordinate” with the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, to present the final list of ministers.