Masoud Pezeshkian

Masoud Pezeshkian (born 29 September 1954 in Mahabad, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran) is an Iranian reformist politician and cardiac surgeon who became the ninth President of Iran on 28 July 2024 following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. He is the first ethnic Azerbaijani to serve as President of Iran and speaks both Persian and Azerbaijani.

Born to an Azerbaijani father and Kurdish mother, he studied medicine at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, earning his medical degree and later specializing in cardiac surgery. He earned a PhD in medical education from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. He served as Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education under President Mohammad Khatami from 2001 to 2005, during which time he significantly expanded Iran's healthcare network. He was subsequently elected to parliament from Tabriz for multiple terms, serving as a deputy speaker.

He ran for president in 2024 on a platform of re-engaging with the West to lift sanctions and improve Iran's economic situation, promising moderation in social policies and support for women's rights. He won the runoff election against hardliner Saeed Jalili with approximately 54% of the vote, benefiting from mobilization by reformist voters and tactical support from centrist factions. His election was welcomed internationally as a potential opening for diplomatic engagement. As President, he faces the challenge of navigating between Iran's domestic hardliners and the international community on the nuclear file, sanctions relief, and regional tensions.