Andy Burnham is expected to be appointed the United Kingdom's new prime minister on Monday after Keir Starmer formally steps down.
Burnham was confirmed as leader of the ruling Labour Party on Friday, securing nominations from 379 Labour MPs, or around 94 percent of the parliamentary party.
Burnham returned to parliament after winning the Makerfield by-election, whose result was declared on June 19. Starmer announced his resignation as Labour leader on June 22, saying he would remain prime minister until his successor was chosen.
Having served as mayor of Greater Manchester for nearly a decade, Burnham promises to apply his experience across Britain, which means stronger local government, closer coordination between public investment and private capital, and greater public control over essential services.
As he prepares to become Britain's seventh prime minister in just over a decade, all eyes are now on Burnham. Public reaction has been largely positive.
"I'm feeling positive about it. I think there's a lot of things that we don't know yet, but I think I like that he's taking a different approach, and I think he's got a lot of people behind him for that. I think he's very charismatic," said one resident.
"Keir Starmer did a really good job, but he's not camera facing. He can't get his message across, although what he did was really well done. Andy Burnham seems to be much more camera friendly and I think that's the world we live in," another London resident said.
Andy Burnham set to become new UK prime minister
Andy Burnham set to become new UK prime minister
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that his country is engaged in a "full-scale war" with the United States, stressing the importance of maintaining economic stability during wartime.
"Today's war is not a war of merely missiles. The enemy has come to the conclusion that it cannot force the Iranian nation to surrender with military strikes," Pezeshkian said at a meeting of the High Council of the Judiciary in Tehran, according to a statement published on the website of his office.
He said that the "enemy" has waged a "hybrid war" against Iran, describing the economy and the people's livelihood as the most important areas of confrontation with the "enemy," and highlighting the necessity to maintain economic stability and protect social assets as two priorities of "the system of governance during wartime."
Pezeshkian added that his government "fully protected" Iran's national rights and interests in negotiations with the United States, including in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on June 18.
Iran has received proposals from mediators, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, amid continued tit-for-tat strikes between Iran and the United States.
Baghaei made the remarks at a weekly press conference in Tehran without giving details, when asked whether he could confirm reports about new proposals by Qatar for the revival of U.S.-Iran negotiations and a 10-day ceasefire.
Baghaei stressed that Iran's diplomatic apparatus remains active alongside its military responses to U.S. attacks, while condemning recent U.S. strikes against civilian infrastructure, including bridges and medical centers, as violating "people's rights to life, security and human dignity."
On the peace memorandum of understanding signed with Washington on June 18, he said the agreement's "text is completely clear," and Washington has no pretext to breach its promises under it.
He said Tehran adhered to a "commitment for commitment" principle until Washington repeatedly violated its commitments, prompting Tehran to cease its own obligations.
On the Strait of Hormuz, he affirmed Iran's resolve to exercise its sovereignty over the waterway and prevent any "misuse" against its interests.
The United States has launched multiple strikes on Iran's southern provinces over the past week, saying they were aimed at "degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping."
Iran has responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military bases and facilities in regional countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.
The escalation comes as the two sides, under their MoU, were scheduled to hold negotiations within a 60-day period to reach a final agreement.
Iranian president says his country in "full-scale war" with U.S.
