Rohani appoints Jahangiri as Iran’s first vice president

Iran’s President Hassan Rohani has appointed Es’haq Jahangiri as his first vice president.

In a Monday decree, Rohani pointed to Jahangiri’s competence and his successful track record in different executive and legislative positions, expressing hope that he would fulfill his future duties in accordance with the law and principles of moderation and the ethics charter of the administration of “Prudence and Hope.”

Jahangiri, 56, was Iran’s former minister of industries and mines in the administration of former President Mohammad Khatami from 1997 to 2005.

He was also a Majlis lawmaker for two terms (eight years) and the former governor of the central Iranian province of Isfahan.

On Sunday, President Rohani took the oath of office in Majlis one day after being endorsed by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

Rohani, whose four-year tenure officially started on Sunday, takes over from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Delegations from over 50 countries attended Rohani’s inauguration ceremony. Among the foreign dignitaries present were 10 presidents, six vice-presidents, two prime ministers, eight parliament speakers as well as several prominent former officials.

Rohani won Iran’s June 14 presidential election with 50.7 percent of a total of over 36 million ballots. The voter turnout in the election was 72.7 percent.