Ebrahim Raisi Sworn In As Iran President Amid Tensions With West

Ebrahim Raisi, who is under US sanctions over allegations of human rights abuses, has pledged to take steps to lift broader sanctions that have cut Iran's oil exports and shut it out of the international banking system.

Hardline Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took the oath of office before parliament on Thursday, with the Islamic Republic's clerical rulers facing growing crises at home and abroad. The mid-ranking Shi'ite cleric formally started his four-year term on Tuesday when supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei endorsed his victory in the June election, when most prominent rivals were barred from standing. With Raisi's presidency, all branches of power in Iran will be controlled by anti-Western hardliners loyal to Khamenei. "In the presence of the holy Koran and before the nation, I swear to the omnipotent God to safeguard the official religion of the country and the Islamic Republic as well as the country's constitution," Raisi said in a ceremony broadcast live on state television.