Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist candidate, emerged victorious in Iran’s runoff presidential election on June 6, defeating hard-liner Saeed Jalili. Pezeshkian’s campaign promises included outreach to the West and easing enforcement of the country’s mandatory headscarf law amid years of sanctions and protests.
Electoral authority spokesman Mohsen Eslami, quoted by the official IRNA news agency, reported that more than 11 million ballots were counted for Pezeshkian, while around 9 million were for Jalili. The Interior Ministry announced Pezeshkian’s win with 16.3 million votes compared to Jalili’s 13.5 million in Friday’s election, noting that 30 million people voted without internationally recognized monitors.
Supporters of Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon and long-time lawmaker, celebrated in the streets of Tehran and other cities as his lead over Jalili grew. Despite the victory, Pezeshkian faces significant challenges, including a government still dominated by hard-liners, ongoing regional tensions due to the Israel-Hamas war, and Western concerns over Iran’s nuclear program.
Pezeshkian pledged no radical changes to Iran’s Shiite theocracy and acknowledged Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the ultimate authority. His modest goals will be tested by the current political landscape, with the need to navigate Iran’s internal politics carefully.
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