Masoud Pezeshkian

Pezeshkian's career is marked by notable firsts: he is the oldest person to become president of Iran, and the first reformist president in nearly two decades. As health minister, he oversaw the expansion of rural healthcare and family physician programs that improved access for millions. His election victory, defeating a hardliner in a runoff, demonstrated the continued appeal of reformist ideas despite a tightly controlled political environment. His personal story, a widowed single father who raised three children alone while serving in parliament, resonates widely and humanizes him in a way unusual for Iranian leaders.