The Majlis today confirmed Ali Akbar Salehi as Iran’s new foreign minister. The vote was 146 in favor, 60 opposed and 35 abstentions. The 146 votes are the lowest cast in favor of any members of Ahmadinejad cabinet.
A physicist, Salehi is 61 years old and was previously the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI). Salehi was born in Karbala, Iraq, to Iranian parents and holds a BS degree from the American University of Beirut and a Ph.D. in Physics from MIT, the prestigious US institution. He speaks Arabic and English fluently. Salehi is considered a professional technocrat within the Iranian political system.
4 comments:
With 2 years of executive experience until 2013, and his great resume, he will then run for presidency.
Except I am not sure if he has the political base needed to run for the presidency, it takes more than executive experience and a great resume, needing solid backers at highest places.
He would not have become FM had he not had solid backing from leadership and president. He's a very likable fellow, hard to think other power brokers (Larijani) will object to him. He can even win over the reformists, and finally put an end to the bitterness from the past elections.
Salehi is in a good position to advance Iranian foreign policy as all signs point to Iran's dominant position in the region and pervasive influence globally. Good summary in Asia Times on Iranian win-win situation in the region as the Arab world awakes and unshackeles itself from US neo-imperialsim. US now has done an excellent job in alienating over 2 billion Muslims world-wide who will be the greatest demographic force the world as ever seen.
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