Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has made history by appointing a Sunni politician as vice president for rural development. Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh, a 44-year-old reformer and representative of Naghadeh and Oshnavieh in the Iranian parliament, is the first Sunni to hold such a high office in Iran.
The presidential website announced that Pezeshkian selected Hosseinzadeh for his valuable experience and commitment to addressing rural and disadvantaged areas. Sunni Muslims, who make up about 10 percent of Iran’s population, have rarely held significant positions of power since the 1979 Islamic revolution, with Shia Islam being the state religion.
Hosseinzadeh has been a vocal advocate for Sunni rights and has worked on behalf of the Sunni community. President Pezeshkian, a reformist himself, highlighted the need for better representation of ethnic and religious minorities, including Sunni Kurds, during his campaign.
Masoud Pezeshkian had been sworn in as Iran’s ninth president last month, replacing Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash in May.
