Iran's Khamenei formally grants Pezeshkian presidential powers

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave Sunday his official endorsement of reformist Masoud Pezeshkian as the Islamic republic's ninth president, following elections earlier this month.

In a message read by the director of Khamenei's office, he said: "I endorse the vote (for) the wise, honest, popular and scholarly Mr Pezeshkian, and I am appointing him as the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran." The new president is due to be sworn in before parliament on Tuesday.