tobye wetware: Moderate cleric Rowhani sworn in as president of Iran

Hassan Rowhani, a moderate cleric, was inaugurated on Sunday. Rowhani then immediately named his entire cabinet, comprising mostly of fellow moderates. NBC's Ann Curry reports.

By Ali Arouzi, Correspondent, NBC News

TEHRAN - Hassan Rowhani was inaugurated as president of Iran on Sunday following eight years of damaging sanctions and diplomatic wrangling with the West under the leadership of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"The Iranian people voted 'yes' to moderation," Rowhani said in a speech.

"The Iranian?people want to live free."

On Saturday, the moderate cleric officially became president after receiving the formal endorsement of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei handed power to Rowhani at a ceremony at the leader?s compound that was also attended by former presidents?Ahmadinejad and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Former President Mohammad Khatami, who was a key supporter in Rowhani?s bid to become president, was not present at the ceremony.

"I want to restore hope to the Iranian people and fix the economy and get rid of these cruel sanctions,"Rowhani said after the ceremony, referring to the U.S.-led sanctions imposed on Iran over its disputed nuclear program.

Khamenei said Rowhani has expressed his desire to seek a "logical relationship" with the Western powers, "and I support him."

Rowhani reiterated that message on Sunday: "I want to engage with the West but with mutual respect and trust."

Officials in the West have watched Rowhani with the hope of more moderate leadership.

Under Ahmadinejad, Iran grew more isolated and came under stringent United Nations, U.S. and European Union sanctions over its nuclear program.

Rowhani won 50.7 percent of the vote in the June 14 election, making a second round of voting unnecessary.

Among the key nominees in Rowhani's proposed cabinet are veteran retired diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif, tapped for the foreign ministry, and ex-oil minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh for the same portfolio.

Zarif is American-educated, speaks fluent English and served from 2002 to 2007 as Iran?s ambassador to the United Nations.

Rowhani's proposed cabinet is largely made up of reform minded or moderate technocrats, many of whom served in the governments of former presidents Rafsanjani and Khatami. The parliament has 10 days to approve Rowhani's choice of ministers.