Reformist Pezeshkian Defeats Hardliner Jalili in Iran Presidential Election

Tehran: Iran's reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian emerged victorious in the runoff presidential election against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili, as announced by the interior ministry on Saturday. This election was called early following the untimely death of ultraconservative president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.

Pezeshkian garnered over 16 million votes, while Jalili received more than 13 million out of approximately 30 million votes cast, according to electoral authority spokesman Mohsen Eslami. The voter turnout stood at 49.8 percent, with more than 600,000 spoiled ballots reported.

In his victory speech on state television, Pezeshkian expressed gratitude to his supporters, stating, "We will extend the hand of friendship to everyone; we are all people of this country; we should use everyone for the progress of the country."

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The election, which followed a first round marked by historically low turnout last week, saw Pezeshkian, the only reformist candidate permitted to run, securing around 42 percent of the votes, while Jalili came in second with approximately 39 percent.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority, had called for a higher turnout in the runoff, emphasizing the significance of the election. He acknowledged the lower-than-expected turnout in the first round but stated that it was not an act "against the system."

The election unfolded against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions due to the Gaza war, ongoing disputes with the West over Iran's nuclear program, and domestic dissatisfaction over the state of Iran's sanctions-hit economy.

The low turnout in the first round, where only 40 percent of Iran's 61 million eligible voters participated, marked the lowest in any presidential election since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. This low participation underscored the widespread discontent and apathy among the electorate.

Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old heart surgeon, has called for "constructive relations" with Western countries to revive the nuclear deal and alleviate Iran's isolation. His candidacy, endorsed by Iran's main reformist coalition and former presidents Mohammad Khatami and Hassan Rouhani, has rekindled hopes among reformists after years of conservative and ultraconservative dominance.

Jalili, 58, Iran's former nuclear negotiator known for his staunch anti-West stance, managed to rally a significant base of hardline supporters and received backing from other conservative figures.

In the lead-up to the runoff, Pezeshkian and Jalili participated in two televised debates, discussing the low voter turnout, Iran's economic challenges, international relations, and internet restrictions. Pezeshkian pledged to ease long-standing internet restrictions and fully oppose police patrols enforcing the mandatory headscarf for women, a contentious issue since the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in 2022.

The death of 22-year-old Amini, an Iranian Kurd detained for an alleged breach of the dress code, sparked months of nationwide unrest, highlighting deep societal divisions and the urgent need for reform. Pezeshkian's victory marks a significant shift in Iran's political landscape, offering a potential new direction for the country's future.

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