Amiri ran unopposed for the position and is the 11th person to hold the top job at the governing body.

He is replacing Kioomars Hashemi who is stepping down.

The election, which was attended by Iran's Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Masoud Soltanifar, took place at the Olympic Academy in capital city Tehran.

Amiri is no stranger to Soltanifar's position having served as Sports Minister himself from August to October in 2013.

The academic is also a former Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance as well as a previous President of Iran's National Library.

According to the Tehran Times, Amiri will be supported by Tahereh Taherian and Fazlollah Bagherzadeh who have been appointed as his deputies.

They are replacing Robab Shahrian and Alireza Dabir.

Shahrokh Shahnaz was re-elected as secretary general following two rounds of votes.

Iran first appeared at the Summer Olympics in Paris in 1900, but then did not compete again until London 1948.

They have participated at every Games since then except Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984 which it boycotted.

In addition, Iran have also competed at 11 editions of the Winter Olympics.

Their most successful Olympian is taekwondo player Hadi Saei, who has won two gold medals and a bronze.

Iran has won 19 Olympic golds in all.