Iran's Reformist Candidate Wins Presidency, Calls for Better Ties with West

TEHRAN, Iran's reformist presidential candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, who favored better ties with the West, defeated ultraconservative Saeed Jalili in the runoff poll, the interior ministry declared on Saturday.

Video: DW News

A representative for the electoral authority, Mohsen Eslami, said that Pezeshkian received over 16 million votes, or nearly 54 percent, while Jalili received over 13 million votes, or roughly 44 percent, of the over 30 million votes cast. From a historic low of almost 40 percent in the first round, voter turnout rose to 49.8 percent.

Pezeshkian described the vote as the start of a "partnership" with the Iranian people in his first remarks upon victory. He wrote on the social networking platform X, “The difficult path ahead will not be smooth except with your companionship, empathy, and trust. I extend my hand to you,”

In the past, Pezeshkian had declared that he would "extend the hand of friendship to everyone" in the event of his victory.

Assistance from the Opponent

Jalili, the defeated candidate, pleaded with his followers to support Pezeshkian. "The person who is elected by the people is respected, his respect should be maintained,… and now we should make all our efforts to help him move forward with strength," Jalili stated in a statement.

Following the death of ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, an early election was scheduled. On June 28, four contestants competed in the first round. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran and the person with the last word on all significant policy matters, underlined the significance of increased voter turnout in the runoff.

According to estimates from Eslami, the number of spoiled ballots decreased to over 600,000 in the runoff, despite over a million in the first round.

Obstacles to Come

Pezeshkian, the only reformer recognized by Iran's Guardian Council, will have a difficult time carrying out his program. Political analyst Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group pointed out that Pezeshkian's limited presidential authority and the presence of conservatives in other state institutions will make it difficult for him to get increased social and cultural rights and diplomatic involvement.

Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old cardiac surgeon, served as health minister for 20 years in the previous administration. In order to resurrect the 2015 nuclear agreement intended to curtail nuclear activities, which Iran claims is for peaceful reasons, he has called for "constructive relations" with Western nations. In 2018, the US pulled out of the agreement, reimposing sanctions and forcing Iran to scale back its obligations.

Global Responses

Regardless of the election results, U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that no significant shift in Iran's course was anticipated. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Pezeshkian and voiced optimism for closer relations.

Pezeshkian was backed by the largest reformist alliance in Iran, which included former presidents Hassan Rouhani and Mohammed Khatami. Pezeshkian promised to loosen internet restrictions and oppose police patrols that enforce women's headscarves, a policy brought to light by Mahsa Amini's 2022 death while in police detention, which prompted protests across the country.

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Sources/Credits: Calling for better ties with West, Iran reformist wins presidency (msn.com) / DW News YouTube Channel