Massoud Pezeshkian elected Iran's new President, defeating hardliner rival Saeed Jalili

New Delhi, July 06: Reformist Massoud Pezeshkian has been elected as Iran's new president, defeating his hardliner conservative opponent, Saeed Jalili. According to Iran's election headquarters, Pezeshkian secured 53.3% of the more than 30 million votes counted, while Jalili garnered 44.3%.

Press TV reported that out of 30.5 million votes tallied in Friday’s runoff, Pezeshkian received over 16.3 million votes, surpassing Jalili, who received more than 13.5 million. Voter turnout was 49.8%, according to the election headquarters under the interior ministry.

Pezeshkian's victory came after a second round of voting, necessitated by no candidate achieving a majority in the initial round on June 28, which had the lowest voter turnout for a presidential election since the Islamic Republic's establishment in 1979. The election followed the death of Iran’s previous president, Ebrahim Raisi, in a helicopter crash in May, which also claimed seven other lives.

Media reported that even before the final results were announced, Pezeshkian's supporters were celebrating in the streets of Tehran and other cities. Social media videos showed young people dancing and waving the green flag of his campaign, while cars honked in support.

Pezeshkian, a former heart surgeon, has criticized Iran’s notorious morality police and promised “unity and cohesion” along with an end to Iran's global isolation. He has advocated for “constructive negotiations” with Western powers to renew the faltering 2015 nuclear deal, which involves Iran curbing its nuclear program in exchange for easing Western sanctions.

His rival, Saeed Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, is known for his hardline anti-Western stance and opposition to restoring the nuclear deal, which he believes crosses Iran’s “red lines.” Jalili enjoys strong support among Iran’s most religious communities and favours maintaining the status quo.

The second round of voting saw a 50% turnout, higher than the first round’s historic low of 40%, though still low due to widespread discontent and election boycotts. Many voters were frustrated by the lack of choice among candidates dominated by Islamic hardliners and the perception that real change is impossible under the supreme leader's control.

Both candidates had to pass a vetting process by the Guardian Council, a powerful body of 12 clerics and jurists, which disqualified 74 other candidates, including several women. Human rights groups have criticized the council for excluding candidates not loyal enough to the regime.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed suggestions that low turnout represented a rejection of his rule, acknowledging that some Iranians do not support the current regime. "We listen to them and we know what they are saying. It is not like they are hidden and not seen," Khamenei stated, quoted by the media.

Who is Masoud Pezeshkian?

Masoud Pezeshkian, a former health minister under reformist president Mohammad Khatami, is a trained heart surgeon and lawmaker. He gained prominence for his opposition to the crackdown on the 2009 pro-democracy protests and violence by the morality police in 2022. After losing his wife and one of his children in a 1994 car crash, he dedicated much of his time to politics. Pezeshkian ran for president in 2013 and 2021 but was unsuccessful. The 69-year-old hails from an ethnically mixed family, with an Azeri father and a Kurdish mother.