Tehran: Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was re-elected as the speaker of Iran's parliament, the Shura Assembly, marking his sixth consecutive term. He secured the position during the assembly's 12th legislative term for a one-year mandate, obtaining a majority of the legislators' votes.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Qalibaf received 219 votes out of the 272 MPs present during the session. His opponent, Ahmad Rastineh, garnered 26 votes, while 17 ballots were recorded as abstentions. In the same session, Ali Nikzad was elected as the first deputy of the chairman after a draw, receiving 111 ballots, equal to those of his contender, Reza Babaei.
Qalibaf, born in Mashhad in 1961 and a holder of a PhD, has led the assembly since 2020. His previous roles include serving as Tehran's mayor and police chief and running for the presidency multiple times. The legislative elections held in March 2024 saw a significant number of seats won by fundamentalists, who share ideological views similar to those of Qalibaf.