Did the ethnic vote determine Iran’s new President?

The meetings came before the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian, highlighting Iran's ongoing support for the proxy militias.

During a separate meeting, Pezeshkian also expressed strong support for Hamas amid its war in Gaza, telling the group's political head Ismail Haniyeh, "We are certain that the resistance of the Palestinian people and fighters will lead to ultimate victory and the liberation of the land of Palestine."

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Tehran has openly admitted to providing financial, logistical and training support to Hamas, praising the group's attacks on Israel on October 7 which killed 1,200 mostly civilians, while denying involvement in the specific operations. Hamas is now considered one of Iran's armed militant proxies in the region, alongside Lebanese Hezbollah.

In 2022, Haniyeh disclosed in an interview with Al Jazeera that his group had received $70 million in military aid from Iran. He noted, "We have rockets that are locally manufactured, but the long-range rockets came from abroad, from Iran, Syria, and others through Egypt."

The US State Department has previously estimated that Tehran's support for Palestinian terror groups, including Hamas, amounts to approximately $100 million annually.

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Additionally, Pezeshkian met with Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the spokesman for Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement. He praised the group's recent actions against Israel and maritime navigation, remarking, "Your actions have clearly put pressure on the Zionist regime and its supporters." Pezeshkian also emphasized the necessity of collaboration among Islamic countries, stating, "We must work with Islamic countries to end the oppression of Muslims."

The Iran-backed Houthis have significantly disrupted the Red Sea, launching missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels. They claim to be acting in support of Palestinians, asserting that their targets are exclusively ships associated with Israel or its primary allies, the US and Britain. However, multiple ships without connections to Israel have targeted with dozens of non-Israeli hostages taken since November.

For several years, the clerical rulers in Iran have been the primary supporter of the Houthis, providing funding, arms, and training amid Yemen's civil war. This support has enabled the group to gain and maintain control over large parts of Yemen, despite facing a much stronger military coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

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Naim Qassem, the Shia Lebanese cleric and deputy leader of Hezbollah, is also in Tehran to meet with Iranian officials and attend the oath-taking ceremony.

Since its establishment in 1979, the government in Iran has consistently positioned itself as a strong adversary of Israel and the United States. In the early 1980s, it founded the Lebanese Hezbollah as a proxy force to challenge Israel.

Currently on the brink of war with Israel, Hezbollah has been acting in allegiance with Hamas since October 8, sending 6,400 projectiles towards Israel's northern border in the worst tensions since 2006. Over 200,000 Israeli and Lebanese civilians have been displaced.

Over the past twenty years, Iran has expanded its influence by creating proxy groups in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and the Palestinian territories. It also maintains networks in various other Middle Eastern, African, and Western nations.

Tehran provides Hezbollah, the largest and most powerful of its militias, with extensive financial aid estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars annually, in addition to advanced military equipment and training. Its missile arsenal is believed to be around 200,000. Hezbollah has been designated a terror group by countries including the US and UK.

The newly elected president was sworn in with the presence of the head of the judiciary and the Guardian Council, promising to uphold the constitution and faithfully execute his duties as the head of state.

It follows assumed office Sunday with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's approval.

In his speech, Pezeshkian attributed his election to the "wisdom of the leadership" and the "astute vote of the people," asserting that this election "has ushered in a new era of opportunity for both Iran and the world."

"We call upon Western nations to acknowledge the realities and foster relationships grounded in mutual respect and parity. We stand ready to manage tensions and engage in dialogue with those governments that have yet to recognize Iran's dignity and status.

"I affirm that the normalization of economic and trade relations with the global community is Iran's inalienable right, and I will tirelessly strive to lift these unjust sanctions," Pezeshkian said.

Vowing to stand strong on the world stage, which has seen Iran subject to sanctions for its nuclear program, human rights abuses and support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he said "the leadership will not succumb to pressure or excessive demands" while vowing to continue negotiations to lift the crippling sanctions.

"My administration will never yield to coercion, pressure, or double standards. The experience of over two decades of negotiations with Iran should have imparted to the negotiating governments that we have always upheld and will continue to uphold our commitments," he added.

In his opening remarks, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said "the tragic death of late President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions presented a renewed test for the Islamic Republic of Iran in the eyes of global analysts", referring to the sudden death of Raisi who was killed in a freak helicopter crash.

He said through Khamenei, the event had become "a symbol of stability in Islamic Iran" as MPs chanted the slogan "Death to America" and "Death to Israel".

He stated, "The Parliament will utilize all available tools to support the government in the challenging path ahead."

Pezeshkian, consistent with his previous addresses, underscored the importance of adhering to the overarching policies championed by Khamenei.

The inauguration of new presidents in Iran involves a two-step process. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei initially endorses the president-elect in an official ceremony known as Tanfiz. Subsequently, the newly endorsed president formally takes the oath of office before the parliament in the Tahlif ceremony.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei gave Pezeshkian the official presidential mandate on July 28 (Tanfiz) in a ceremony attended by multiple officials and dignitaries.

The president is allocated 15 days to submit his proposed cabinet ministers to the parliament for a vote of confidence, which is anticipated on September 5th.

Iran's state media reported that more than 80 foreign delegations from various countries and international organizations attended the swearing-in ceremony which Iranian officials said was a sign of the Islamic Republic's recognition on the global stage.

UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Enrique Mora, the Chief of Staff to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, were among the highest-ranking guests.

Other foreign guests represented neighboring countries and a few friendly governments in Africa and Latin America, and a low level delegation from Iran's ally and biggest oil consumer, China.

Before the ceremony on Tuesday, Pezeshkian met with leaders of Iran's regional proxies including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the spokesman for Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement, to express support for their actions against Israel.

On October 7, Gaza-based Hamas invaded Israel, killing 1,200 mostly civilians and taking over 250 more hostage. Since then, Iran's proxies have mobilized in support of the Palestinian group designated by countries including the UK.

Both Israeli and US targets in the region have come under fire from Iran's militias across the Middle East.

Since November, under the orders of Khamenei, the Iran-backed Houthis have significantly disrupted international commercial shipping in the Red Sea by attacking cargo ships and tankers in a bid to force Israel into a ceasefire amid the war in Gaza.

The United States and Britain have retaliated several times against Houthi military targets, yet have failed to deter the militia, which rules over more than half of Yemen.

The situation escalated this month when, for the first time, Israel's defense system failed to intercept a Houthi drone aimed at Tel Aviv. The drone struck an apartment building near the US Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, resulting in the death of one person and injuring ten others.

“We are deeply committed to enhancing our relations with Armenia, and the collaboration between our two nations, founded on mutual interests and independent of policies of others, will continue with unwavering strength,” Khamenei told Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday.

Last week, Iran International reported that Tehran and Yerevan have signed an arms deal to supply Yerevan with military equipment and training valued at $500 million.

In a meeting preceding Iran's president-elect's swearing-in ceremony in parliament, Khamenei emphasized that the "security and prosperity of nations" are best ensured through self-reliance and fostering close cooperation with neighboring countries.

He stated that the "interference of distant powers" in the internal affairs of other nations "inevitably results in detrimental consequences for the interveners themselves."

After an apparent disappointment with its long-time ally, Russia, Armenia has been forging closer ties with the United States and France in recent months, including joint military drills with US forces in July.

According to a senior Middle Eastern military official, the reported Tehran-Yerevan agreement has been divided into several contracts and signed over the past few months. For security reasons, Iran International has withheld the official's identity.

Iran International has seen a list of military items Iran is purportedly set to supply Armenia, including drones such as the Shahed 136, Shahed 129, Shahed 197, and Mohajer, as well as air defense missile systems like the 3rd Khordad, Majid, 15th Khordad, and Arman.

The Iran-Armenia arms deal reportedly extends beyond providing suicide drones and air defense missiles. It encompasses intelligence cooperation, close military relations, training, and the establishment of bases on Armenian soil, the source disclosed to Iran International.

Following the report's publication, Armenia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not deny the deal in its official email response to Iran International. "Armenia is currently diversifying its security relations within the framework of international law. We don't have any further comment on this," stated a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. Meanwhile, Iran's ambassador to Armenia, Mehdi Sobhani, denied the report.

Azerbaijan Republic is seeking a land corridor through Armenia to connect with the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhichevan.

Khamenei says that Iran considers the Zangezur corridor “detrimental” to Armenia and “maintains a firm stance” on this issue.

"We are strongly committed to developing relations with Armenia, and cooperation between the two countries will continue robustly based on defined interests, without regard for the policies of others," Khamenei added during the meeting with Pashinyan.

On Monday, the Reformist-aligned Etemad newspaper reminded readers that academic Bijan Abdolkarimi and Reform Front head Azar Mansouri have previously stated that Pezeshkian is Iran's last chance to address its longstanding financial, cultural, and foreign policy issues and to correct the direction of governance in Iran.

Etemad further quoted a conservative politician, noting that anyone else elected president instead of Pezeshkian would also be seen as Iran's last chance to resolve its multiple crises.

The newspaper emphasized that Pezeshkian's most pressing challenges include addressing the concerns of the majority who boycotted the election and assuring voters that his promises to end social media filtering and bans, and the violent crackdown on women defying compulsory hijab will be seriously pursued.

However, Etemad pointed out that solving these issues is not entirely within the power of any Iranian president.

The daily added that tactics used by hardliners outside the government regarding the bills on social media and hijab could make Pezeshkian's job even more difficult. It also reminded readers that during his campaign, Pezeshkian "guaranteed to stand against the filtering and Morality Police." This brings Pezeshkian to a tough decision: whether to stand by his promises or to yield to the limitations of Iran's political structure.

One of Pezeshkian's staunch supporters, former Tehran Mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi has stressed that lifting the ban on social media would be the new President's easiest job and as far as the nation is concerned a test of his reliability to stand by his promises.

The daily observed that solving Iran's foreign policy issues and returning to negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, thereby lifting sanctions and addressing the country's economic problems, will take much longer. While some US officials have occasionally mentioned negotiations with Iran, there is no indication that they are interested in the 2015 deal. Instead, the United States seeks a new comprehensive agreement that would address Iran's regional and international threats and military ambitions and bring its nuclear activities under international control in exchange for easing some sanctions.

Meanwhile, centrist website Entekhab probed into Pezeshkian's ability to confront the upcoming challenges posed by hardliners at the Iranian parliament (Majles) whose vote of confidence to Pezeshkian's cabinet ministers can finally end the saga of forming the new cabinet.

Entekhab wrote that while Pezeshkian is in a hurry to start his work as Iran's President, four conservative groups at the Majles will take their and Pezeshkian's time to review the ministers' credentials.

Despite Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's call for a quick vote of confidence for the president's cabinet, It is unlikely that hardliners would give their vote of confidence to all the ministers without any hassle.

The first group to obstruct an easy vote of confidence are the neocon supporters of the Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. However, according to Entekhab, as their political behavior is not based on ideology, they might approve the ministers' credentials with minimal opposition.

The second group are moderate conservatives coming from various political groups. They have been supporting Pezeshkian during his campaign and they are not likely to create any problem. However, they form a very small fraction of the Majles.

Another group known as "moderates" who are in between the reformists and conservatives, will also support Pezeshkian. A fourth group, the members of the ultra-conservative Paydari, are the troublemakers. The votes given during the election of Speaker of the Majles showed that they are no more than 60 MPs. However,as many of them are avid politicians whose candidate Jalili lost the presidential election, they might be able to garner support from among other groups or the so-called "independents" to block the approval of one or more ministers.

In another report about Pezeshkian's challenges during his first weeks in office, Rouiydad24 website noted that there is a discrepancy between the Planning and Budget Organization Chief Davud Manzur and the outgoing Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi's assessment of the funds available at the treasury as the new government starts its work.

Khandouxzi has said that he will hand over the treasury to his successor with 185 billion rials while Manzur claims that government has 300 billion rials (around $500m) of funds in its treasury at the time of Pezeshkian's inauguration.

The report said that confusion and discrepancy about the extent of the government's debts to the banks and other organizations is another matter that is likely to cause problems for the new government. This comes while some observers and economists in Tehran say no government statistics are reliable.

"Iran has no objective or activity aimed at influencing the American elections. A significant portion of these accusations are psychological operations designed to create false momentum for election campaigns," the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York stated on Monday.

US spy agencies say they observed Iran attempting to influence the 2024 election to prevent former President Trump from securing a second term in the White House.

Notably, the press briefing held by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, suggested a shift in Iran's strategy from previous years.

Instead of merely acting as a "chaos agent," Iran is now spreading “disinformation” through “vast webs of online personas and propaganda mills.” These efforts are in addition to clandestine attempts to influence the campaign in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.

First reported by the Wall Street Journal, US officials say Iran has accelerated its use of covert social media networks to influence voters in the lead-up of election -- aiming to avoid increased tensions with the US.

Influence by “foreign actors” has been a source of apprehension in recent US elections, especially since 2016, when ‘Russian meddling’ became a major theme, with people on both parties accusing the other of having benefited from it.

Director of the US National Intelligence Avril Haines warned in a statement on July 9 that "Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts, seeking to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions."

In yet another warning on Monday, an unnamed US intelligence official told Reuters that US foes targeting November's election with influence operations are expected to adapt to presidential contest developments, seemingly alluding to Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.

The official suggested that US intelligence agencies anticipate foreign actors will redirect their influence operations towards Vice President Kamala Harris. "We expect these actors to adjust to these developments and integrate them into their influence narratives, aiming to undermine democratic institutions."

There seems to be a growing consensus in Washington that the ‘influence’ offensive from the Tehran has to be taken seriously, even though it’s not yet as serious as threats from Moscow and Beijing –and perhaps not on the same global scale.

Russia, China, and Iran deny all such accusations, punching back with allegations of American influence campaigns –and direct interventions– across the world.

The senior intelligence official told Reuters Tehran and Moscow are sticking to their traditional presidential preferences. According to prior intelligence assessments, Iranian operatives are focused on undermining the Republican ticket, while Russia is making efforts to smear the Democrats.

Foreign actors have already used the July 13 attempted assassination of Trump "as part of their narratives," Reuters quoted the US intelligence official as saying.

Another official explained that Russia and Iran have in the past tried employing actual Americans in their operations through false front companies and third-party websites. "Doing so provides them with cover and offers a more authentic voice," the official said.

The Director of US National Intelligence had warned in May that Iran will pose a significant threat to the upcoming US elections, predicting that Tehran will intensify its cyber and influence activities.

"Iran's actions are becoming increasingly aggressive," Haines told the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. She added that Iran seeks to “stoke discord and undermine confidence” in democratic institutions, pointing to their interference in previous election cycles as evidence of this ongoing threat.

In 2021, the US Treasury sanctioned Iranian cyber company Emennet Pasargad formerly known as Net Peygard Samavat Company along with five individuals associated with the company for having "engaged in covert and deceptive activities to disseminate disinformation through websites and social media designed to undermine Americans’ faith in US elections."

Iran International revealed in an investigation with Semafor last year that an Iranian-backed influence network, called the Iran Experts Initiative, sought to build relationships with overseas academics and researchers in the West to affect Washington's foreign policy on Tehran.