As he was officially endorsed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran Aug. 3, Iran's new President Ebrahim Raisi pledged to get the country's sanctions-stricken economy back on track and restore waning public trust.

Under Iran's constitution, elected presidents begin their tenure only after being officially mandated by the supreme leader. Raisi, an ultraconservative former judiciary chief, was elected following a contentious race back in June, after the ruling hard-liners removed potential centrist challengers from his path to victory. 

Expressing his utmost loyalty to the supreme leader, Raisi opened his speech with regret that due to coronavirus restrictions in place, he had no chance to kiss Khamenei's hands while receiving his credentials. 

Khamenei advised Raisi to hasten forming a new "people-oriented" administration, referencing the new president's campaign slogan about the rule of the people. Raisi promised to see US sanctions lifted while noting that his government "will not hinge" the already beleaguered economy on the West. "The message of the election was about a change in the status quo," Raisi declared, repeating his scathing criticism against the outgoing Hassan Rouhani, who also attended the ceremony.