Advertisement

Iran's New President Names First Sunni Governor In 45 Years: Report

Arash Zerehtan was appointed head of the western state, IRNA news agency said, citing government spokesman Fatemeh Mohajerani.

Iran's New President Names First Sunni Governor In 45 Years: Report
Arash Zerehtan served as a member of parliament for the city of Paveh between 2020 and this year. (File)
Tehran:

Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Wednesday nominated a member of the Sunni Muslim minority to be governor of Kurdistan province, official media reported.

Arash Zerehtan was appointed head of the western state, IRNA news agency said, citing government spokesman Fatemeh Mohajerani.

He is the first Sunni to be made a regional governor in the predominantly Shiite country since the earliest days of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Arash Zerehtan, 48, served as a member of parliament for the city of Paveh between 2020 and this year.

Sunnis account for about 10 percent of Iran's population, where the vast majority are Shiites and Shiite Islam is the official state religion.

They have very rarely held key positions of power since the revolution.

Pezeshkian, 69, took office in July after an early election following the death of ultraconservative president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.

During his election campaign, Pezeshkian criticised the lack of representation for ethnic and religious minorities, in particular Sunni Kurds, in important positions.

In August, he made another member of the Sunni minority, Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh, one of his vice presidents.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world

Follow us:
Previous Article
Iran Rejects Claims Linking Tehran To Hamas' October 7 Attack On Israel
Iran's New President Names First Sunni Governor In 45 Years: Report
Spirit Airlines Passengers Allegedly Kicked Off Plane For Wearing Crop Tops: "Treated Like Criminals"
Next Article
Spirit Airlines Passengers Allegedly Kicked Off Plane For Wearing Crop Tops: "Treated Like Criminals"
Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com