Iran appoints first Sunni Kurd as vice president

 Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed a politician from the Sunni Kurdish minority as his vice president for rural development affairs, official media reported on Monday.

“By decree, the president designated Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh to the post of vice president in charge of rural development and disadvantaged areas of the country because of his valuable experience,” the presidential website said.

Hosseinzadeh, 44, has represented the northwestern cities of Naghadeh and Oshnavieh in parliament since 2012.

He has spoken out several times in defence of Iranian Sunni rights. Sunni Muslims constitute about ten per cent of Iran’s population.

Pezeshkian has previously criticised the lack of representation for ethnic and religious minorities, in particular Sunni Kurds, in important positions.

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