Iran's Pezeshkian submits proposed cabinet to parliament

The Iranian Parliament has confirmed the receipt of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s list of proposed ministers, which includes former chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi as the nominee for foreign minister.

The list published by the official news agency IRNA reveals that despite Pezeshkian’s promises to include non-Shia ministers in his cabinet, there are no Sunni ministers among the proposed nominees. However, he has included a woman, Farzaneh Sadegh, as the candidate for the Ministry of Roads and Transportation. The average age of the proposed cabinet members is 60, which contrasts with Pezeshkian’s earlier commitment to forming a “young” cabinet.

Some reformists say the make-up of Pezeshkian’s proposed cabinet has hugely disillusioned them.

“Pezeshkian has failed in his first test, except in a few cases [where his nominees are acceptable],” former reformist lawmaker Parvaneh Salahshouri tweeted. She contended that the nominees were chosen under the pressure of others who "demanded a share" and those who “openly interfered” instead of their qualifications and expertise and the advice of the council that was formed to choose the best. “Global experience has shown that such governments are short-lived," she wrote.

“There is not a gap but a deep abyss between the cabinet presented by Mr. Pezeshkian and what was expected from his cabinet. But I’m still hopeful [because] I didn’t vote for Pezeshkian for an ideal cabinet or progress and evolvement,” the prominent reformist pundit Sadegh Zibakalam posted on X, adding that he had only voted for Pezeshkian to stop hardliners and ultra-hardliners who call themselves ‘revolutionaries’ from driving all others out and “purification” of the political establishment.

The relevant committees of the hardline-dominated Parliament will scrutinize the eligibility and qualifications of each proposed candidate. Following this review, the ministers will be invited to defend their programs on the floor before facing a vote of confidence.

Pezeshkian has nominated Abdolnaser Hemmati, the former governor of Iran's Central Bank and a presidential candidate in 2021 backed by some reformists, as the Minister of Economy. Hemmati has previously criticized the government’s economic performance over the past three years, yet during his tenure, the Central Bank implemented inflationary policies that severely devalued the national currency, the rial.

For the position of oil minister, Pezeshkian has chosen Mohsen Pakzad, who previously served as deputy oil minister under Hassan Rouhani.
Pezeshkian has also reinstated Abbas Aliabadi, who served as energy minister in Raisi’s administration, to address the significant challenges related to energy shortages, including electricity.

Veteran economist and former reformist lawmaker Ahmad Meydari has been nominated by Pezeshkian to head the Ministry of Labor. Meydari, who appeared as Pezeshkian’s economic adviser during the election debates, may face substantial opposition from the Parliament.

Esmail Khatib, the US-designated minister of intelligence during Ebrahim Raisi’s administration, has been proposed as Pezeshkian’s intelligence minister. Khatib has strong connections with the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) intelligence organization, having held various high-ranking positions there early in his career.

A political analyst in Tehran told Iran International that Pezeshkian’s proposed list seems to be a “compromise cabinet,” with concessions made in key ministries such as interior, intelligence, education, sports, Islamic guidance, and energy.

These concessions may be intended to secure a vote of confidence for pro-reform ministers proposed for foreign affairs, labor, economy, communications, and health, thereby maintaining support from his reformist base.

For the health ministry, Pezeshkian has selected Dr. Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi, the outspoken reformist Chairman of Iran's non-governmental Medical Council, known for his advocacy and regulatory work of the Council.

Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, currently the deputy chief of the Armed Forces’ General Staff, has been nominated for the position of defense minister. Pezeshkian has also put forward Brigadier General Eskandar Momeni, a former deputy chief of the Law Enforcement Forces, as the candidate for interior minister. This choice has sparked concern among some reformists who are wary of appointing a military figure to the interior ministry.

At least one ministerial position has been allocated to a close ally of Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf. Former lawmaker Ahmad Donyamali, who served as Ghalibaf’s deputy in Tehran Municipality, has been nominated for the role of Minister of Sports.

Sattar Hashemi, one of the younger nominees in the proposed cabinet, is slated to lead the Ministry of Communications. If confirmed by the Parliament, he will face the daunting task of addressing internet filtering, a key issue Pezeshkian pledged to resolve during his campaign.