Ebrahim Raisi sworn in as Iran's new president

Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Hardline conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi was formally sworn into office as Iran's president Thursday, two months after his election victory.

Raisi became the nation's eighth president since the 1979 revolution in a ceremony held at the Iranian Parliament. He took the oath of office after Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Parliament, and Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei, Iran's judiciary chief, gave speeches.

Mohseni Ejei said the judiciary stood ready to help Raisi's new government fight corruption.

Dignitaries from more than 80 countries attended the ceremony.

The oath of office was administered two days after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei formally endorsed Raisi during a ceremony in Tehran.

During Tuesday's event, Raisi promised to lift "cruel sanctions" imposed by the United States and promised not to tie Iran's future with any country in the West. He said he planned to continue talks with world powers concerning the 2015 nuclear deal.

Raisi succeeds Hassan Rouhani, who led the Islamic nation since 2013. He received 62% of the nation's votes in the June election, which some critics accused of being rigged.