Hanachi Endorsed as Tehran Mayor

Pirouz Hanachi was endorsed by the Interior Ministry as Tehran mayor after an extensive and lengthy vetting process. 
In a decree on Wednesday, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli appointed Hanachi as the head of Tehran Municipality, IRNA reported. 
The spokesperson of the ministry said, “On receiving the required clearances from the relevant authorities, including the Intelligence Ministry, Hanachi’s decree was issued by the interior minister.”
Hanachi had narrowly won the race for Tehran mayor against his heavyweight rival Abbas Akhoundi, a former roads minister, in a Nov. 13 vote by Tehran City Council. 
By law, he needed to secure the Interior Ministry’s approval before officially taking office as the capital’s mayor. 
Hanachi, 55, who has a PhD in revivalism (reviving historical architectural styles), had served in the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development under three administrations since 1997.
He had also served as deputy for technical affairs and construction, as well as deputy for architecture and urban development at Tehran Municipality in recent years.