Masoud Pezeshkian, the President, during his inauguration ceremony in the open session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, while welcoming the leaders and representatives of Iran’s friendly countries worldwide, and paying tribute to the spirit of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the esteemed martyrs, especially Martyr General Soleimani, the martyrs of the government, Martyr Bahonar, Martyr Rajaee, and Martyr Raeisi, described the presence in the House of the Nation and the taking of the oath to assume the trust of the presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran in accordance with Article 121 of the Constitution as a historic moment. He stated: By the grace of God, the wisdom of the Supreme Leader, and the wise vote of the Iranian people, the election of the fourteenth term of the presidency opened a new opportunity for Iran and the world.

In this context, he continued: It is an opportunity to acknowledge the critical conditions of the country and the hardships of the people’s lives, an opportunity to hear the voices of all segments of the nation and their desire for transformation and change. An opportunity to create hope and unity to overcome difficulties and an opportunity to reform the inappropriate behavior of the world’s powerful against the brave people of Iran.

Pezeshkian described his government as a government of national unity and emphasized: The opportunity arising from the election is a new field for national cooperation and solidarity within the government, between the government and society, and within society. The government that will take on the executive responsibility with the vote of confidence from the representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly is a government of national unity and is obliged to secure the civil rights of all Iranians and is committed to prioritizing national interests over any other matter.

The Constitution is our national covenant

The President stated that the axis of convergence is adherence to the Constitution, the vision document, and the general policies approved by the Supreme Leader. He said: The Constitution is our national covenant, the vision document outlines our shared future, and the general policies specify the agreed-upon method for reaching that vision.

Pezeshkian added: What we need today is a re-reading of the vision and the design of solutions based on general policies to achieve what the vision document has outlined for Iranian society.

Pezeshkian continued by reading the text of the 20-year vision document: The fourteenth election showed that our people only want to achieve these goals. Isn’t the people’s demand for justice, the elimination of discrimination, the provision of a fair and honorable life, the advancement of peace and tranquility, free from anxiety, humiliation, and unlawful interference, nothing but the explicit right of the nation as stated in the third chapter of the Constitution and the characteristics mentioned in the vision document? So what is our disagreement over? Isn’t the sign of allegiance to the Supreme Leader and practical commitment to the Constitution nothing but a joint effort to respect this demand of the nation?

The President emphasized: National unity means giving up disputes that are not based on anything but self-interest and joining hands to achieve this vision. Did our people want anything other than this in the election?

Pezeshkian, stating that Iran needs to overcome the current complex conditions and the dangers ahead and to open the paths of sustainable development, stressed: The world also needs to seize this rare opportunity to resolve regional and global problems with the participation of a powerful, peace-seeking, and dignified Iran.

The President noted: We must regard the people of Iran, women, young people, and ethnic groups as unparalleled national opportunities and nurture these opportunities. They can offer new ways to solve the chronic problems of the country. We must provide the opportunity for those who have been on the sidelines until now to participate and contribute.

I am hopeful about the future

Emphasizing that the fourteenth government will pursue the fair and comprehensive development of Iran, increasing the country’s economic strength, and improving people’s lives, he said: Eliminating discrimination and spreading political, economic, social, educational, and gender justice are necessary to achieve this goal.

Pezeshkian reminded: People, regardless of their tastes, ethnicity, religion, and gender, are the axis of the country’s development, and wisdom and foresight in governance are the foundations of the people’s progress and elevation.

The President said: We must return to the dignity, honor, and respect for human beings, especially the younger generation, women, and girls who have been hurt by being ignored, humiliated, and imposed upon. We need the support and assistance of all pillars of the governing institutions, especially the legislative and judiciary branches, on this path.

Pezeshkian, stating that the opportunity before us is an opportunity for change, reform, and response to new necessities, added: Moving in the direction of the people’s demands and implementing structural, behavioral, and attitudinal reforms benefits everyone.

He emphasized: On this path, everyone wins, and there are no losers.

Pezeshkian, stating that he is hopeful about the future, said: Although expert reports show the current situation of the country to be complex and difficult, and we all witness the many hardships in the people’s lives and livelihoods, reliance on God’s power and the capabilities of Iran and the human resources of this land makes it possible to overcome any challenge.

The President stated: A shared understanding, national resolve, and coordinated action pave the way for opening horizons.

He emphasized that Iran is a safe, cohesive, and stable country, stating: We, amidst the storms and turbulent whirlwinds of the region, and following the horrific event that led to the martyrdom of the President, held a completely competitive, healthy, and hopeful election, and with full tranquility and unity, opened a new chapter in the country’s administration.

Pezeshkian continued: With the support of the people, with the support of the Supreme Leader, and by creating consensus among all the pillars and political factions of the country, I will decisively and honorably safeguard the dignity and interests of Iran and the rights of the nation on the international stage.

The President noted: Ensuring national interests, protecting people’s security, developing the country’s economy, and improving people’s quality of life within the framework of the three principles of dignity, wisdom, and expediency are the most important goals of my government’s foreign policy.

The priority of my government’s foreign policy is to improve and strengthen relations with neighboring countries

He added: To achieve these goals, constructive and balanced interaction with the world and the realization of people’s rights will be the government’s top priorities.

Pezeshkian emphasized: The priority of my government’s foreign policy is to improve and strengthen relations with neighboring countries; neighboring countries should not waste their valuable resources in tensions and exhausting competitions.

The President noted: My government seeks a strong region. A region where all neighboring countries can take joint steps for economic development, progress, and the improvement of future lives. A region where its security will be ensured by its own countries, and the pretext for the presence of foreign powers will be removed from them.

He continued: A region that does not allow a few extremists and dogmatists to trap nearly 2 billion peaceful and free-minded Muslims with a false narrative of Islamophobia. Islam is the religion of peace, and those who claim to be human rights advocates, with a history full of xenophobia and violations of people’s rights, cannot consider themselves superior to Muslims, who were the symbol of tolerance and leaders of science.

The President continued: Those who supply the weapons of child-killers in Gaza cannot teach others about humanity and tolerance. No one in the world accepts that the president of a regime that fights against women and children and drops bombs on them is supported and encouraged. It seems that for some who claim to be civilized, the basic rights of humans are measured based on their skin color, language, and religion.

Pezeshkian added: We, the descendants of Saadi, wish for a world where everyone truly believes in word and deed that “Human beings are members of a whole, in creation of one essence and soul / If one member is afflicted with pain, other members uneasy will remain / If you have no sympathy for human pain, the name of a human you cannot retain.”

He continued to emphasize: One cannot call oneself human and remain silent in the face of all these atrocities. We want a world where the proud people of Palestine have been freed from the claws of occupation, oppression, and genocide, and the dreams of no Palestinian child remain buried under the rubble of their ancestral home.

My government will never submit to bullying, pressure, and double standards

The President, stating that we can realize these dreams, which are the dreams of all free people in the region and the world, together, said: My government, by balancing and stabilizing foreign relations, will pursue the national interests and the needs for peace and security in the region and the world.

Pezeshkian continued: We will appreciate the friends of difficult days. We will strengthen our relations with emerging players in the global South. We will strive for friendship and friendship with our eastern neighbors and the Persian-speaking cultural domain. We invite Western countries to understand the realities and establish relations based on mutual respect and equal status.

He added: We are ready to manage tensions with governments that have not yet understood Iran’s stature and position through dialogue. I consider the normalization of Iran’s economic and trade relations with the world to be the legitimate right of Iran and will not stop striving to lift unjust sanctions.

The President noted: My government will never submit to bullying, pressure, and double standards. More than two decades of negotiations with Iran should have made the negotiating governments understand that we have been and will be committed to our obligations; however, the people, leadership, and political system of Iran do not respond to pressure and excessive demands.

Pezeshkian said: Iran must be spoken to with respect and honor. Iran has always stood on the right side of history and humanity, and we will continue on this path, which is based on the beliefs and cultural and civilizational values of Iran.

Iran, the region, and the world today need solidarity, understanding, and cooperation

He stated: Iran, the region, and the world today need solidarity, understanding, and cooperation. The slogan of the Iranian people has always been: “The peace of both worlds is in these two words: with friends, kindness; with enemies, forbearance.”

The President, stating that we seek peace and stability in the region and the world and progress and prosperity for the people of Iran and the region, said: Let us together reduce the concerns and grievances of our people and restore Iran and the region to its rightful place in history, civilization, and contemporary culture.

He said: We are all in one boat in the stormy world of today. Let us steer the governance system forward with the compass of the peace and progress of our people.

The President, appreciating those present at the ceremony, said: I especially thank the representatives of the people, with whom I had the honor to be among for four terms, and I expect cooperation. I thank the friendly governments for attending this ceremony and hope that the relations between our nations and governments will expand every day.

Pezeshkian, at the beginning of the fourteenth term of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s presidency, during the inauguration ceremony in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, swore an oath to defend Islam, the Islamic Republic system, and the Constitution as the President.