Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian wins Iran’s presidential runoff election, defeating hard-liner Saeed Jalili.
Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian won Iran's runoff presidential election. He defeated hardliner Saeed Jalili by pledging to reach out to the West and relax the headscarf law. Authorities announced on Saturday that Pezeshkian received 16.3 million votes, while Jalili got 13.5 million.
Supporters of Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon and longtime lawmaker, celebrated in the streets of Tehran and other cities as his victory over Jalili became clear. Pezeshkian, who promised no radical changes to Iran's Shia theocracy, respects Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's authority.
However, his modest goals will face challenges from the hardliner-dominated government.
The first round of voting on June 28 saw the lowest turnout since the 1979 revolution. Iranian officials have viewed turnout as support for the country's Shia theocracy. Years of sanctions, economic challenges, widespread protests, and crackdowns on dissent have weakened this backing.
Government officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expected higher voter turnout, with state TV showing modest lines at some polling centers. However, online videos showed empty polls, and a survey of several sites in Tehran revealed light traffic amid heavy security.
Over 61 million Iranians over 18 were eligible to vote, including about 18 million aged 18 to 30. Voting, initially set to end at 6 PM, was extended until midnight to increase turnout. The late president, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May, was viewed as a protege of Khamenei and a potential successor.
While Khamenei remains the final decision-maker, the new president could influence Iran's foreign policy toward either confrontation or collaboration with the West.
Raisi was known for his role in the 1988 mass executions and the brutal crackdowns on protests after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, detained for allegedly improperly wearing a hijab.In April, Iran conducted its inaugural direct assault on Israel. Meanwhile, Tehran-armed groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen have escalated their attacks.
Iran is enriching uranium close to levels suitable for weapons and possesses enough stockpiled material to potentially construct multiple nuclear weapons. The campaign frequently addressed the possibility of Donald Trump winning the upcoming US election.
In 2018, Trump pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal. Iran has had indirect talks with Joe Biden's administration, but there's been no clear progress toward limiting Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.
