Masoud Pezeshkian is an Iranian cardiac surgeon and reformist politician who was elected as the 9th President of Iran after winning the second round of the 2024 presidential election with 53.7 percent of the vote.

Masoud Pezeshkian was born on 29 September 1954 in Mahabad, Iran. His surname means “Doctors” in Persian. After graduating from high school in 1973, he moved to Zabol to complete his compulsory military service. During this period, he developed a strong interest in medicine. After completing his service, he returned to his hometown and entered medical school, graduating with distinction in general medicine.

Between 1980 and 1988, during the Iran–Iraq War, Masoud Pezeshkian frequently visited frontline areas, where he was responsible for organizing medical teams and served directly as both a physician and a combat doctor. In 1985, he completed his general practitioner training and began teaching physiology at a medical faculty.

After the war, Masoud Pezeshkian continued his education at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, specializing in general surgery. In 1993, he earned a subspecialty in cardiac surgery from Iran University of Medical Sciences and subsequently became a certified cardiac surgeon. In 1994, he was appointed rector of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, a position he held for five years.

Masoud Pezeshkian entered national politics in 1997 when he joined the administration of Mohammad Khatami as Deputy Minister of Health. Four years later, he was appointed Minister of Health and Medical Education, serving from 2001 to 2005. Since then, he has been elected five times to the Iranian parliament representing Tabriz and served as First Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 2016 to 2020. He has been a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly since 2008.

Beyond politics, Masoud Pezeshkian is known as a Quran instructor and a reader of Nahj al-Balagha, a central text in Shiite Islam. He is also a member of the Iran–Turkey Friendship Association.

Masoud Pezeshkian experienced a personal tragedy in 1993 when his wife, a gynecologist, and one of his children were killed in a traffic accident. He raised his remaining two sons and one daughter on his own and never remarried. His daughter, Zahra Pezeshkian, holds a master’s degree in chemistry from Sharif University of Technology and worked at Jam Petrochemical prior to the rise to power of the Hassan Rouhani administration.

On 26 February 2016, during an open parliamentary session, Masoud Pezeshkian declared that God had created him as a Turk and that no one had the right to ridicule the language or culture of Turks. He emphasized that, under Article 15 of Iran’s Constitution, Turks and other ethnic groups in Iran should be allowed to write, speak, and learn in their own languages in schools. He is also a supporter of Tractor, the Turkish-affiliated football club in Iran.

Masoud Pezeshkian initially entered the 2013 Iranian presidential election but later withdrew from the race. He ran again in the 2021 presidential election, but his candidacy was rejected. Following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on 19 May 2024, early presidential elections were announced, and Pezeshkian was approved as a candidate.

In the first round of the 2024 Iranian presidential election held on 28 June 2024, Masoud Pezeshkian emerged in first place with 43 percent of the vote, advancing to a runoff election against conservative candidate Saeed Jalili. As no candidate surpassed the 50 percent threshold, a second round was held on 5 July 2024. In that election, Pezeshkian secured 53.7 percent of the vote, defeating Jalili and becoming Iran’s 9th President.

After his victory, Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran’s overall policies, including foreign policy, are ultimately determined by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He emphasized that, if elected, he would govern in accordance with the Supreme Leader’s decisions and within the framework of Iran’s existing political system.

Source: Biyografiler.com