Iran Appoints US Sanctioned Mokhber as Vice President... Establishing Hardline Policy

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, the President of Iran, has reportedly appointed Mohammad Mokhber, an official included in the United States' sanctions list against Iran, as the new Vice President. With both the President and Vice President of the Iranian administration being subject to U.S. sanctions, it is expected that the hardline stance against the U.S. will be further strengthened.

According to foreign media including AFP on the 8th (local time), President Raisi appointed Mokhber, the head of Setad, as the new Vice President. Setad is an institution established to manage properties confiscated during the 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution and currently exerts significant influence over various Iranian industries, including the healthcare sector.

Vice President Mokhber had been identified as a strong running mate candidate for President Raisi since the Iranian presidential election. Alongside President Raisi, he is known as a prominent hardline official within Iran and is also subject to U.S. sanctions against Iran. Mokhber has served as the head of Setad since 2007, and both he and Setad were included in the U.S. sanctions list against Iran in January.

With both the President and Vice President dominated by hardline conservatives, attention is focused on how the Raisi administration's foreign policy and negotiations to return to the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) will be affected. Earlier, at the inauguration ceremony held in the parliament on the 5th, President Raisi stated, "Sanctions must be lifted, and we support any diplomatic plan to achieve this," adding, "The new administration will strive to develop Iran's economy and resolve livelihood issues."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.