Tehran, Iran, Aug. 3 / Trend T. Jafarov /
Iran's former president Mohammad Khatami has not attended the endorsement ceremony of Iran's new president Hassan Rouhani.
The Leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei officially endorsed Hassan Rohani as the country's new president for a four-year term.
Senior Iranian officials and political figures including chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, Iran Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani, chairman of Iran's Guardian Council Ayatollah Jannati, Previous President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, grandson of late Iran Supreme Leader Hassan Khomeini and Khamenei's advisor Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri have attended the ceremony
Former presidential candidates Mohammad Reza Aref, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Mohsen Rezaei, Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel, Saeed Jalili, Ali Akbar Velayatai and Seyyed Mohammad Gharazi are also present.
Based on the reports, Khatami is not supposed to attend Rouhani's swearing-in ceremony tomorrow either.
MP Shahain Mohammad Sadeghi said on Monday that Khatami was not invited.
Rouhani succeeded Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose second presidential term ended today.
He will take the oath of office at the parliament on Sunday. The Foreign Ministry has announced that 55 foreign delegations have been invited to attend the inauguration ceremony. The delegations include eleven presidents, two prime ministers, eight vice presidents and seven parliament speakers. This is the first time that Iran is inviting foreign officials to attend the presidential inauguration ceremony.