Former mayor of Tehran elected parliament speaker

Iran's parliament elected on Thursday a former mayor of Tehran tied to the Revolutionary Guard as its new speaker, solidifying hard-line control of the legislative body.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf’s candidacy received 230 votes from the 264 lawmakers present in the parliament in the first round of voting, state television reported.

Parliament has 290 seats.

His assumption of power comes after a string of failed presidential bids and 12 years as the leader of Iran's capital city, in which he built onto Tehran's subway and supported the construction of modern high-rises.

Many, however, remember Qalibaf for his support as a Revolutionary Guard general for a violent crackdown on Iranian university students in 1999.

He also reportedly ordered live gunfire be used against Iranian students in 2003 while serving as the country's police chief.

A trained pilot, Qalibaf served in the paramilitary Guard during the country’s bloody 1980s war with Iraq.

After the conflict, he served as the head of the Guard’s construction arm, Khatam al-Anbia, for several years leading efforts to rebuild.

Qalibaf then served as the head of the Guard’s air force.

Qalibaf, 58, replaces Ali Larijani, who served as the parliament's speaker from 2008 until this May.