Pezeshkian's Bold Cabinet Picks: Reviving Iran's Diplomatic Landscape

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has proposed significant changes to his Cabinet, including nominating former nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi as foreign minister and Farzaneh Sadegh as roads and housing minister. Sadegh would become Iran's first female minister in over a decade if approved. However, the hard-line-dominated parliament may challenge these nominations.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday proposed former nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi as the country's new foreign minister and also sought to appoint a woman as roads and housing minister. If approved, she would be Iran's first female minister in more than a decade.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf announced the list of proposed ministers to lawmakers. The hard-line-dominated chamber will have two weeks to review the qualifications and vote on the proposed candidates.

Araghchi, 61, a seasoned diplomat, was part of the 2015 nuclear deal team. Pezeshkian aims to revive this deal, which was dismantled by former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018. Meanwhile, he nominated Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh as defense minister, marking the first air force member to head the ministry.

If approved, Farzaneh Sadegh would be only the second female minister since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. However, she faces significant opposition from lawmakers who demand stricter social and cultural regulations based on Islamic sharia.

Pezeshkian has shown a more moderate stance, suggesting less enforcement of the hijab law and more open relations with the West. However, he may face resistance in implementing his agenda due to the hard-line parliamentary majority.

(With inputs from agencies.)