Masoud Pezeshkian

Masoud Pezeshkian (, born 29 September 1954 in Mahabad from Azerbaijani family) is an Iranian reformist politician who is currently representing Tabriz, Osku and Azarshahr electoral district in the Parliament of Iran, and also served as its First Deputy Speaker from May 29, 2016 to May 26, 2020.

He was Minister of Health between 2001 and 2005 in the cabinet of President Mohammad Khatami.

He was the chancellor of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences for 7 years.

He is a cardiac surgeon (heart surgeon) and an academic member of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences at the present time.

He is elected as one of Iranian parliament members from Tabriz in 2008 election.

He had a speech on condemnation of violence against fraud in Iranian presidential election on June 30, 2009 in Iran parliament.

In 2010, he failed in his bid to become deputy speaker of parliament.

He is also a member of Iran-Turkey Friendship society.

Pezeshkian supports teaching of Azerbaijani language in Iranian schools.

During the Mahsa Amini protests in September 2022, Pezeshkian said in an interview, "It is our fault. We want to implement religious faith through the use of force. This is scientifically impossible."

On 3 March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, Pezeshkian claimed that the figures reported by Iran’s health ministry are "not real".