Iran's acting president addresses new parliament after Ebrahim Raisi's death

Irans acting President Mohammad Mokhber addressed the countrys new parliament Monday in his first public speech since last weeks helicopter crash that killed his predecessor and seven othersHis speech comes as Iran prepares for a presidential election to replace the late Ebrahim Raisi in just a month a vote that could see the previously behindthescenes bureaucrat potentially run alongside others Meanwhile Irans new hardline parliament is expected to select its new speaker TuesdayIn his remarks Mokhber praised Raisis time in office noting that Irans crude oil production a key source of hard currency for the country climbed to more than 36 million barrels a day That comes after Oil Minister Javad Owji said Sunday that Iran was now exporting around 2 million barrels a day despite Western sanctions targeting the Islamic RepublicMokhber also asserted that the countrys economy remained stable under Raisi when Iran took military actions in Iraq Israel and Pakistan in recent monthsThree countries were hit We hit Israel people find that figures and indexes are the same in the morning when they wake up the price of hard currency is the same inflation is the same liquidity is the same and the market is full of peoples needs Mokhber claimed This strength this settlement and this power is not a usual thing they all were because of guidance by the supreme leader and the sincere efforts of Ayatollah RaisiThe Iranian rial has tumbled from a rate of 32000 rials to 1 at the time of Tehrans 2015 nuclear deal with world powers Today it stands around 580000 to 1 in the wake of the US unilateral withdrawal from the accord and a series of attacks on shipping in the Mideast first attributed to Iran and later involving Yemens Houthi rebels as Israels war against Hamas on the Gaza Strip began over seven months agoOn May 20 rescuers recovered the bodies of Raisi Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and others in a mountainous region in northwestern Iran following a fatal helicopter crashIran will hold presidential elections on June 28 to replace Raisi On Thursday a fiveday registration period for candidates will open Analysts have suggested that Mokhber could be one of those to registerMeanwhile Monday marked the first day for Irans newly elected parliament following a March election that saw the countrys lowest turnout since its 1979 Islamic Revolution Of those elected to the 290seat body hardliners hold over 230 seats according to an Associated Press surveyIrans parliament plays a secondary role in governing the country though it can intensify pressure on a presidential administration when deciding on the annual budget and other important bills Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 85 has the final say in all important state mattersThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever