Masoud Pezeshkian

Member of the Parliament of IranAssumed office
27 May 2008ConstituencyTabriz, Osku and Azarshahr, (East Azerbaijan)Majority261,605 (36.27%)Minister of Health and Medical EducationIn office
22 August 2001 – 24 August 2005PresidentMohammad KhatamiPreceded byMohammad FarhadiSucceeded byKamran Bagheri Lankarani Personal detailsBorn (1954-09-29) 29 September 1954 (age 69)
Mahabad, West Azerbaijan, IranHeight1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)Alma materTabriz University of Medical Sciences
Iran University of Medical SciencesProfessionHeart surgeonWebsitedrpezeshkian.ir

Masoud Pezeshkian (Persian: مسعود پزشکیان; born 29 September 1954) is an Iranian reformist politician who is currently representing Tabriz, Osku and Azarshahr electoral district in the Parliament of Iran, and also served as its First Deputy Speaker from 2016 to 2020. He was Minister of Health between 2001 and 2005 in the cabinet of former President Mohammad Khatami.^[1]

He ran in the 2013 presidential election, but withdrew, and ran again in the 2021 election, but was rejected.^[2] Pezeshkian qualified in 2024, and is currently running in the 2024 presidential election.

Early life and Education

Pezeshkian was born in Mahabad on 29 September, 1954 to an Iranian Azerbaijani father, and an Iranian Kurdish mother.^[3] In 1973, he received his diploma and moved to Zabol to serve his conscription duty. It was during this time when he became interested in medicine. After completing his service, he returned to his home province, where he entered medical school and graduated with a degree in general medicine. During the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), Pezeshkian frequently visited the front lines, where he was responsible for sending medical teams and working as a fighter and doctor. Pezeshkian finished his General practitioner course in 1985, and started teaching Physiology at the medical college.

After the war, he continued his education, specializing in general surgery at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. In 1993, he received a subspecialty in cardiac surgery from Iran University of Medical Sciences. He later became a specialist in heart surgery, leading him to become president of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 1994, a position he held for five years.^[4]

Career

Pezeshkian’s political journey began when he joined Mohammad Khatami’s administration as Deputy Health Minister in 1997. He was appointed Health Minister four years later, serving from 2001 to 2005.^[5] Since then, he has been elected to the Iranian parliament five times, representing Tabriz, and served as the First Deputy Speaker of the parliament from 2016 to 2020.

Pezeshkian is a Quran teacher, and reciter of the Nahj al-balagha, a key text for Shia Muslims.^[6] He is also a member of Iran-Turkey Friendship society.^[7]

Views

IRGC

Pezeshkian is a supporter of the IRGC, and has called the current IRGC "different from the past".^[8] He condemed the declaration of IRGC as a terrorist organization by United States in 2019.^[9] After the 2019 Iranian shoot-down of American drone, Pezeshkian called the American government terrorist and described the IRGC's action to target the drone as "a strong punch to the mouths of the leaders of criminal America".^[10] In a university meeting and in response to some criticisms, Pezeshkian put on the IRGC uniform, and said that he would wear it again.^[11]

Critical of the system

Pezeshkian has criticized the system multiple times. During the protests after the presidential elections of 2009, in a speech, Pezeshkian criticized the way the protesters were treated. In his speech, he mentioned the words of the first Shiite Imam [Ali] addressed to Malik Ashtar that "Do not treat people like a wild animal".^[12]

Pezeshkian considered Iran's method of managing the 2018 protests as "scientifically and intellectually wrong". He blamed the country's system for all the events and said, "We should have done better."^[13] After the 2022 protests, Pezeshkian demanded the creation of an assessment and clarification team regarding the incident. Although he considered the way of dealing with the protestors and their trial to be contrary to the constitution and demanded that the defendants should get lawyers, he later issued an statement, condemned the protests and did not consider it to be in the people's interest.^[14]

Ethnic view

Pezeshkian demands the implementation of Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution for all ethnicities. This principle says: "The official and common language and script of the people of Iran is Persian. Documents, correspondence, official texts and textbooks must be in this language and script, but the use of local and ethnic languages in the press and mass media and the teaching of their literature in schools is free, along with the Persian language." He called the implementation of this principle an obstacle to giving excuses to separatists and dissidents.^[15] Pezeshkian also supports teaching of Azerbaijani language in Iranian schools.^[2]

Personal life

Pezeshkian's wife was a gynecologist.^[16] In 1993, Pezeshkian lost his wife and one of his children in a car accident. He raised his remaining two sons and daughter alone and has never remarried.^[17] This personal story of loss and dedication has garnered sympathy and respect from many in Iranian society who view him as a compassionate and resilient figure. His daughter, Zahra Pezeshkian, has a master's degree in chemistry from Sharif University of Technology, and was working at Jam Petrochemical before the Rouhani government came to power.

Pezeshkian is a fan of Tractor S.C.^[18]

Public face

Sources consider his family to be far from the sidelines and himself to have a clear track record in economic matters. However, his political opponents such as Alireza Zakani have accused him of defending people involved in corruption.^[19][20]

References