TEHRAN (Iran News) –  After having his mandate endorsed by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi has taken the oath of office to be officially inaugurated as the eighth president of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Iranian parliament on Thursday afternoon, attended by high-ranking Iranian civil and military officials as well as a great number of foreign dignitaries from more than 70 countries.

The ceremony started with a speech by Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf followed by an address delivered by head of Iran’s Judiciary Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.

After speeches were delivered by heads of the Judiciary and Legislature, Ebrahim Raisi took to the podium to be sworn in as Iran’s eighth president following the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

During the oath-taking ceremony, Raisi read out the text of the oath, which says, “I, as the President, upon the Holy Qur’an and in the presence of the Iranian nation, do hereby swear in the name of Almighty God to safeguard the official Faith, the system of the Islamic republic and the Constitution of the country; to use all my talents and abilities in the discharge of responsibilities undertaken by me; to devote myself to the service of the people, glory of the country, promotion of religion and morality, support of right and propagation of justice; to refrain from being autocratic; to protect the freedom and dignity of individuals and the rights of the nation recognized by the Constitution; to spare no efforts in safeguarding the frontiers and the political, economic and cultural freedoms of the country; to guard the power entrusted to me by the nation as a sacred trust like an honest and faithful trustee, by seeking help from God and following the example of the Prophet of Islam and the sacred Imams, peace be upon them, and to entrust it to the one elected by the nation after me.”

Addressing Majlis after taking the oath of office, Raisi said the U.S. policy of imposing sanctions and mounting pressure on the Iranian nation will not deter the nation from pursuing its legal rights, including the right to development.

“All sanctions on the Iranian nation must be removed and we support any diplomatic initiative that pursues this goal,” Raisi added.

The Iranian nation, he said, created an epic landmark through participation in the presidential election “at a time that we were dealing with the peak of the enemy’s mischief from unjust economic sanctions to extensive psychological war as well as the problems caused by the spread of the coronavirus.”

“Today, the Iranian nation expects us to fulfill our promise for establishing an administration [based on] dispensing justice and fighting corruption and discrimination.”

“We are true defenders of human rights and do not accept silence in the face of oppression, crime and the violation of the rights of innocent and defenseless human beings … whether it is at the heart of Europe and America, or in Africa, Yemen, Syria and Palestine. We will stand by the oppressed, and inside the country, people and the youth of this land expect us to be the voice of the oppressed,” Iran’s president said.

“The administration has arisen from the will of the nation to meet the interests of people and dispense justice; [therefore,] it will stand fast and will move in this direction tirelessly,” he added.

Raisi said he would make utmost efforts to serve more than 80 million Iranians, noting, “An administration arising from people is an administration of national unity in which political factions as well as ethnic, religious and group-based demarcations have no place.

Strengthening cooperation among the three branches of the government, Raisi highlighted, is crucial under the current sensitive circumstances “and no opportunity should be lost for serving people.”

Saying that Iran’s power in the region is aimed at establishing security, the Iranian president said, “Iran’s regional capacities are at the service of peace and stability in countries and will be solely used to counter threats posed by hegemonic and oppressive powers.”

He emphasized that intra-regional dialogue based on people’s rights is the only solution to the current crises plaguing the region.

“I extend the hand of friendship and brotherhood toward all countries in the region, especially our neighbors,” Iran’s president said.