Iran’s Supreme Leader (L) endorses Ebrahim Raisi as Iran President, Tehran, August 3, 2021

Former judiciary head Ebrahim Raisi was endorsed as Iran’s 8th President on Tuesday, using his first speech to denounce “tyrannical” US sanctions.

Raisi, the favorite of the Supreme Leader’s office, won a managed election in June. He is seen as a hardliner, in contrast to the “centrist” outgoing President Hassan Rouhani.

Ayatollah Khamenei wrote in a decree, read out by his chief of staff, “Following the people’s choice, I task the wise, indefatigable, experienced and popular Hojatoleslam Ebrahim Raisi as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Raisi will be sworn in on Thursday in Parliament.

He declared in Tuesday’s ceremony at the Imam Khomeini Hosseiniyeh in Tehran, “We will certainly seek the lifting of oppressive sanctions, but we will not condition the people’s livelihood and the economy [on this] and will not tie them to the will of foreigners.”

The new President’s initial statement fits the hardening Iranian line, headed by the Supreme Leader, over the Vienna talks to renew the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the 5+1 Powers (US, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany).

Last month Iranian officials — including Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the delegation head in Vienna — said the discussions were “closer to the end of the road” for US re-entry, lifting of American sanctions, and an Iranian return to compliance.

But the Supreme Leader denounced the “unjust and malicious” West last week, and indicated that all US sanctions must be removed before any step by Tehran towards compliance, including the rollback of 20% enriched uranium.

Beyond the nuclear issue, Raisi said, “The message of the people was the message of changing the status quo, and the dear people, with their vote, called on the government to achieve justice and the fight against corruption”.