During a ceremony on Thursday, 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 Thursday’s ceremony, Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammadi-Golpayegani, the head of Ayatollah Khamenei’s office, read out the decree issued by the Leader to the participants.

‘Sanctions helped Iran’s growth’

Addressing the ceremony, the Leader hailed the election process as the symbol of democracy in post-Revolution Iran.

Prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, people were sidelined and prevented from playing a role in running the country’s affairs, Ayatollah Khamenei said.

The Leader urged the new administration to focus its efforts on “establishing justice, siding with the poor and implementing the rules of pure Islam,” adding that authorities should also work to strengthen “national unity.”

Ayatollah Khamenei further said Iranian officials have succeeded to cooperate with the world despite enemy attempts to isolate the nation.

The Leader also called for “extensive interactions with the world as well as broad relations with nations and governments.”

The sanctions imposed on Iran helped the country to grow powerful and self-reliant as the nation turned to the resources and capabilities at home, he added.

“The sanctions, of course, caused problems for the country, but [made us] open our eyes to our own capabilities,” the Leader said. “We used all the enmities to our own benefit.”

‘12th administration set to fight poverty’

Rouhani also delivered a speech after receiving the endorsement decree, elaborating on his future plans as the chief executive.

He said “social justice” and “poverty alleviation” were among the main ideals of the Islamic establishment, adding that the eradication of absolute poverty is one of the objectives of his administration.

The administration, he said, seeks to set the stage for people to exercise their rights, adding that his cabinet would make efforts to “uproot poverty and corruption, contain inflation and [facilitate] economic growth.”

Rouhani further called for more investment and access to advanced technologies, stressing that sustainable development is not achievable without reliable plans.

Iran paid the price for its independence and will stand against enemy attempts to isolate the nation, he added, stressing, “We will never accept isolation.”

He said the country has stood against the “toughest of the sanctions” by taking advantage of a combination of its “diplomatic power” and “deterrence might.”

The president also pointed to the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and said “the JCPOA has shown Iran’s goodwill to engage in constructive and effective interactions on the international stage.”

He was referring to the deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, by its acronym. The accord lifted the nuclear-related sanctions against Iran in exchange for certain restrictions on its nuclear activities.

Rouhani will take the oath of office in Iran’s Parliament (Majlis) on Saturday.
The inauguration ceremony is expected to see a record turnout, with delegations from over 100 countries taking part in the event.

He will then have two weeks to present his cabinet to the Parliament for a vote of confidence.

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made the remarks in Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, adding “the success of the US in the eyes of the international community and world’s public opinion has diminished due to its wrong policies, and a greater break with the international community and Europe will further weaken the US situation.”

Rouhani went on to add, “the US election results indicate the domestic tensions and instability of the US which will take a long time before they could be resolved.”

“Today, the US is by no means any more capable than before in using the mechanism of Iranophobia and rallying the world against Iran,” he stressed.

He went on to add, “our policy on constructive interaction with the world and breaking up the nuclear sanctions has placed Iran’s economic relations with other countries on an ever improving and irreversible path.”

The President stressed that Iran’s sagacity was in having the nuclear deal endorsed as a resolution by the UN Security Council and not just an agreement with a single country, adding that the deal thus cannot be changed by decisions of just one government.

Republican candidate Donald Trump was declared the victor in the US presidential election on Wednesday by having won 276 electoral votes. Trump has repeatedly voiced discontent over Iran’s nuclear deal, threatening to tear up the deal if he became president.

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Sauli Niinistö  was accorded warm welcome by his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani at Tehran’s Sa’dabad cultural and historical complex on Wednesday 26 October 2016.

The two presidents discussed issues of mutual interest, as well as multilateral issues and expansion of bilateral economic relations.

The Finnish president also met with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani Chairman of the Assembly of Expert and Majlis (parliament) Speaker Ali Larijani.

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The meetings indicate Iran’s importance for the leaders in order to expand their economic and political relations, particularly after the last year nuclear agreement between Tehran and P5+1 group of countries.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and British Prime Minister Theresa May met for the first time on the sidelines of the 71st UNGA session in New York.

During the meeting, Rouhani lauded the promotion of ties between Tehran and London, and called the nuclear deal a great development and a basis for closer bilateral cooperation.

Obstacles to economic cooperation

He also called on all parties of the agreement to fulfill their obligations, adding that until all the technical obstacles in banking and insurance services are not removed, the other side’s commitments are not fulfilled. Rouhani said the UK can take the key step in this regard.

The British premier hailed the expansion of Tehran-London relations in political and economic fields in recent years and said Britain would back further development of ties.

Heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Rouhani arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Tuesday.

Main trade partner

Rouhani also held a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi where he stated that during the post-deal era Italy has the opportunity to become Iran’s main trade partner in Europe.

“Recent bilateral trips are a turning point in relations and a sign of determination of the two nations and governments to bolster cooperation,” said Rouhani.

On January 16, Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, Britain, France, China and Russia – plus Germany started implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) they had clinched on July 14, 2015. Under the nuclear agreement, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in return for the termination of all nuclear-related sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

“Both sides must be committed to the JCPOA’s terms that can provide the basis for strengthening regional peace and security,” Rouhani added.

Fight against terrorism

In a separate meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the fringes of the event, Rouhani said Iran and Turkey can play a key role in the fight against terrorism in the region.

“Terrorism is a threat to all of us and the two countries (Iran and Turkey) can play an important role in the fight against terrorism and insecurity in the region, Syria and Iraq in particular,” Rouhani said.

Erdogan thanked Iran for supporting the Turkish government in the early hours of this year’s failed coup attempt in his country on July 15, saying that Ankara is confident that Tehran will continue its support for its neighboring country.

“Iran and Turkey are two major Islamic countries in the region,” he added, noting that the two countries can cooperate and play a “determining” role in defusing the ongoing crises and establishing security in the region, particularly in Syria and Iraq.

Rouhani also met French President Francois Hollande and Slovenian President Borut Pahor on Tuesday.

The Iranian president is scheduled to deliver a speech at the General Assembly session on Thursday. He is also scheduled to meet with senior officials of other countries as well as a number of political and economic elites.

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