Iran's Parliament Approves Full Cabinet of Pezeshkian

Iran's parliament has approved all 19 members of President Masoud Pezeshkian's cabinet, marking the first time in over two decades that a president has achieved complete cabinet approval. The cabinet features reformist figures, including Health Minister Mohammadreza Zafarqandi, who received the lowest vote count, and Farzaneh Sadegh, who becomes only the second female minister in the Islamic Republic's history. Abbas Araghchi, a key figure in the 2015 nuclear negotiations, has been appointed as foreign minister, while Aziz Nasirzadeh was the most supported candidate for defense minister. Despite this consensus-driven cabinet, Pezeshkian faced criticism from allies, including former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who resigned as vice president in protest of the cabinet's conservative selections. The approval comes amidst ongoing tensions regarding Iran's nuclear program and relations with the West, a priority for Pezeshkian during his campaign. The cabinet's formation reflects a focus on unity in a parliament dominated by fundamentalists, with Pezeshkian emphasizing solidarity as essential for progress.