Tehran, Iran – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has put forward former nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi as the country’s new foreign minister, while also nominating a woman for the position of roads and housing minister. If approved, she would become Iran’s first female minister in more than a decade.
The list of proposed ministers was presented to lawmakers by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf on Sunday. The hardline-dominated chamber will have two weeks to review the candidates’ qualifications before casting a vote of confidence.
Araghchi, aged 61, is a seasoned diplomat who was a key member of the Iranian team that negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, a deal that saw Tehran curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
However, the deal was dismantled in 2018 when then-President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Pezeshkian, during his presidential campaign, pledged to work towards reviving the nuclear deal.
In addition to Araghchi, Pezeshkian has nominated Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, an F-14 Tomcat pilot and former chief of the Iranian Air Force (2018-2021), as defense minister. This marks the first time a member of Iran’s air force has been tapped to head the defense ministry.
The president also proposed Farzaneh Sadegh as roads and housing minister. If confirmed, Sadegh would become only the second female minister in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Despite the significance of her nomination, it remains uncertain whether her appointment will be approved, given the parliament’s conservative stance and its cultural and social restrictions on women based on Islamic Sharia law. Sadegh reportedly received a mixed reaction when her name was read by the speaker during Sunday’s session.
Should Sadegh be approved, she would be the first female minister since 2009, when former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad successfully appointed Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi as health minister.
### **Keywords:** Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, Abbas Araghchi, nuclear deal, Farzaneh Sadegh, cabinet nominations, female minister, Iranian Parliament
apnews.com
