Masoud Pezeshkian

Masoud Pezeshkian was born on September 29, 1954, in Mahabad, located in northwestern Iran, to a Kurdish mother and an Azerbaijani father. 

Before the 1979 Iranian Revolution, he studied medicine at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. After the revolution, he served as a medic and combatant in the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988).

After the war, Pezeshkian taught at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, specializing in surgery. He earned his specialization in 1990 and later obtained a subspecialty in heart surgery at Iran University of Medical Sciences. In 1994, he became the chief administrator of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

In 2000, President Mohammad Khatami appointed Pezeshkian deputy health minister. With no prior political experience, he maintained a low profile in Khatami’s administration. After Khatami's reelection in 2001, Pezeshkian became the minister of health, securing a vote of confidence from the Majles and surviving an impeachment attempt in 2003.

After his work during Khatami’s presidency in 2008, Pezeshkian ran in the parliamentary elections and secured a seat representing Tabrīz in the Majles. He later served as deputy speaker from 2016 until 2020. 

Following the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being arrested for opposing the mandatory hijab, widespread protests erupted in Iran in 2022. During this period, Pezeshkian expressed his support for the Women, Life, Freedom movement but also criticized the calls to remove the supreme leader from power.

Pezeshkian registered to run for President of Iran three different times before winning in 2024. 

Following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh just hours after Pezeshkian’s inauguration in Tehran, it was reported that Pezeshkian opposed the IRGC’s proposal to retaliate by launching direct attacks on Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities. Instead, he advocated for targeting Israel’s ‘secret bases’ in neighboring countries. This disagreement is part of the ongoing power struggle between Pezeshkian and the IRGC.

Pezeshkian has three children with his late wife, Fatemeh Majidi.

Sources: Adam Zeidan, “Masoud Pezeshkian,” Britannica, (August 9, 2024).
Nadeen Ebrahim and Michael Rios, “Reformist lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian wins Iran’s presidential vote,” CNN, (July 6, 2024)
Patrick Wintour, “Masoud Pezeshkian: the former heart surgeon who became president of Iran,” The Guardian, (July 6, 2024). 
“Pezeshkian suggests striking Israel's 'secret bases' in neighboring countries - Telegraph,” The Jerusalem Post, (August 9, 2024)