List of Ministerial Nominees Presented to Parliament

EghtesadOnline: Newly inaugurated President Ebrahim Raeisi submitted his list of proposed ministers to parliament on Wednesday for confirmation.

News ID: ۷۸۶۸۶۰

12 August 2021

The Majlis will announce the receipt of the proposal in its Saturday open session before expert commissions begin to review the ministerial candidates’ plans, IRNA reported.

The process will last for a week and a session for lawmakers’ votes of confidence will be held in the following week (after 20 August).

Raeisi’s nominee for the Foreign Ministry is Hossein Amir-Abdollahian who has a broad educational and professional background in the field of diplomacy and international relations.

His previous titles include deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, director general for Persian Gulf and Middle East affairs at the foreign ministry and ambassador to Bahrain, among others.

At present, he is a special assistant to the parliament speaker and director of international affairs in Majlis.

Former oil minister Rostam Qasemi has been named to take the helm of the Roads Ministry.

Qasemi was the president of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Producing Companies) for a year. He was also the head of the Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters, CEO of the Urban and Suburban Railways Operation Company and had posts in the Central Bank of Iran and the Chamber of Commerce.

The proposed candidate for the Interior Ministry is former defense minister Ahmad Vahidi who has also served in several other defense-related positions.

He also headed for nearly ten years the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps which runs overseas operations.

The key Oil Ministry will potentially be run by Javad Owji, former deputy minister and director general of the National Iranian Gas Company who has also had different positions in the oil and gas sector.

Ehsan Khandouzi has been nominated to take over the Economy Ministry.

With a PhD in economic sciences, he is currently a professor at the faculty of economy of Allameh Tabatabaei University as well as a member of parliament and deputy head of the Majlis economic commission.

The Ministry of Industries, Mines and Trade is designated by Raeisi for former deputy industries minister Reza Fatemi Amin.

He was appointed by Raeisi as his deputy during his custodianship of Astan Quds Razavi, a charitable organization that manages economic enterprises endowed to the holy shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH), the eighth Shia Imam, and still holds this position.

Former head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Ezzatollah Zarghami has been selected for the Ministry of Tourism.

Other nominees include Ali Akbar Mehrabian for the Energy Ministry, Esmaeil Khatib for the Intelligence Ministry, Isa Zarepour for the ICT Ministry, Hossein Baghgoli for the Education Ministry, Bahram Einollahi for the Health Ministry, Hojjatollah Abdolmaleki for the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare, Javad Sadetinejad for the Agriculture Ministry, Amin Hossein Rahimi for the Ministry of Justice, Mohammadreza Ashtiani for the Defense Ministry, Mohammad Ali Zolfigol for the Science Ministry, Mehdi Esmaeili for the Culture Ministry and Hamid Sajjadi for the Sports Ministry.

Raeisi also appointed former oil and industries minister Masoud Mirkazemi as the head of the Plan and Budget Organization. He, too, has a professional background in Astan Quds Razavi.

The new President had earlier designated Mohammad Mokhber as first vice president and Gholamhossein Esmaeili as his chief of staff.