Reformist Masud Pezeshkian, who advocates improving relations with the West, won the second round of the presidential election in Iran Pezeshkian won more than 16 million votes, or about 54% of the votes cast, while his rival Jalili won more than 13 million, or about 44% of the more than 30 million votes cast. ballots countedelectoral authority spokesman Mohsen Eslami said.
Voter turnout stood at 49.8 percent, the spokesman added. In the first round on June 28, it had been 39.92 percent, the lowest level in the 45-year history of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“The road ahead is difficult. It will only be easy with your cooperation, empathy and trust. I extend my hand to you,” Pezeshkian, 69, said on social media after his victory.
Some 61 million voters were called to the polls for the second round.
The elections were held early after the death of the ultra-conservative president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter accident on 19 May, took place against a backdrop of public discontent over the state of the economy, which has been severely hampered by Western sanctions.
The international community followed the elections closely, in the wake of tensions in the Middle East caused by the war in Gaza and the dispute with Western powers over Iran’s nuclear programme.
Negotiations on this program have been at a standstill since 2018, when USA withdrew from the international pact signed in 2015.
Images broadcast by local media showed supporters of the reformist expressing their joy in the streets of the capital Tehran and Tabrizin the northwest, even before the official announcement of the results.
Jalili asks to respect the result
“We are very happy that Pezeshkian won. We need an educated president to solve our economic problems,” he said. Abolfazl, a 40-year-old architect.
Roya, a 50-year-old housewife, expressed her indifference to the outcome. “These [candidatos] They only shout slogans. When they come to power, they do nothing for the people,” he said.
Pezeshkian, a doctor of Azerbaijani origin, was the only reformist allowed to run and had the support of several former presidents, such as the reformist Mohammad Khatami and the moderate Hasan Rohani.
In Iran, the president has limited powers and is responsible for implementing the main policy lines set out by the supreme leader, the Ayatollah. Ali Khamenei.
The Ayatollah congratulated Pezeshkian and urged him to “continue the path of martyr Raisi and utilize the country’s many capabilities, especially the revolutionary and faithful youth, for the welfare of the people and the progress of the country.”
Pezeshkian affirms his loyalty to the Islamic Republic, but at the same time, advocates a rapprochement between Iran and Western countries, with the United States at the head, to lift the sanctions that are weighing down the economy.
She also questioned the use of force by police to enforce laws on the compulsory wearing of the veil for women, which have been in force since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
His 58-year-old rival, Jalili, has instead advocated a hardline approach to Western powers, a stance he demonstrated when he was a negotiator on Iran’s nuclear programme.
After his defeat, he nevertheless called on his followers to support Pezeshkian. “A person who is elected by the people is respected (…) and now we must do everything we can to help him move forward with strength,” he wrote on X.
International reaction
Russia, which like Tehran is subject to harsh Western sanctions, congratulated Pezeshkian and invited him to “further strengthen bilateral cooperation.”
“I hope that your role as president will contribute to further strengthening constructive bilateral cooperation for the benefit of our friendly peoples,” he said, according to the Kremlin.
The king Salman of Saudi Arabia He also congratulated the reformist and said he hopes to “continue developing relations” between the two countries, according to the official SPA news agency.
The Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran resumed diplomatic relations in March 2023 after a seven-year rupture.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message to Pezeshkian, saying he hopes to “deepen the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership.”
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modicongratulated Pezeshkian and said he hopes to “continue strengthening the warm and long-standing bilateral relationship” between the two countries, which have a close bond despite Tehran’s international isolation.
Source: Gestion
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