Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian wins Iran presidential election
Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has been elected as Iran's new president, defeating hardline conservative Saeed Jalili. The country's interior ministry confirmed Pezeshkian's victory on Saturday after he secured 16.3 million out of the 30 million votes cast on Friday, while Jalili garnered 13.5 million votes.
The election was held following the death of former president Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in May.
Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old heart surgeon, managed to surpass his rival by promising to reach out to the West and ease the enforcement of the country's mandatory headscarf law, amidst years of sanctions and protests that have strained the Islamic Republic.
Videos on social media showed supporters of Pezeshkian dancing in the streets of many cities and towns across the country, with motorists honking car horns to celebrate his victory. The run-off followed the first round of the election on June 28, which saw a historically low turnout, with over 60% of Iranian voters abstaining.
Pezeshkian was the only moderate candidate among the six contenders. Analysts believe he is likely to be welcomed by world leaders who hope he will pursue peaceful resolutions to the tense stand-off over Iran's fast-advancing nuclear program. However, his goals might face resistance from the Iranian government, which is still largely controlled by hard-liners.
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