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....