In the Iranian presidential election runoff, moderate reformist Masoud Pezeshkian won against conservative candidate Saeed Jalili. This ushers in a reform-oriented administration in Iran for the first time in three years. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, China, and India have expressed their congratulations, but the U.S. has not anticipated any fundamental changes.
According to foreign media on July 6, Iran’s state-run PressTV reported that out of 30.5 million votes counted, Pezeshkian won with 53.6%, winning against Jalili who received 44.3%. The turnout increased slightly to 49.8% compared to the first round of voting. The first round of voting, held on June 28, resulted in no candidate receiving a majority amidst the lowest voter turnout (40%) since the Islamic revolution in 1979. As a result, a runoff was held according to Iranian law. The election was held following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last May.
Pezeshkian’s supporters, primarily young people, celebrated in the streets of several cities, including the capital city, Tehran.
The only reformist candidate among the six presidential candidates, Pezeshkian expressed his gratitude and pledged, “I will dedicate myself to the voiceless.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, also congratulated him and urged him to “make the most of the country’s young, revolutionary, and faithful human resources.” He expressed satisfaction with the free and transparent election.
Governments in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Pakistan, as well as China, India, and Russia, congratulated Iran on the election results.
On the other hand, the U.S. Department of State stated that the Iranian election was neither free nor fair and that there would be no significant changes to U.S. policy towards Iran. The Department of State emphasized, “We do not expect this election to fundamentally change the direction of Iran’s policies or respect for human rights.”
Foreign media interpret Pezeshkian’s victory as an unexpected turn of events, which aims to break Iran’s isolation and improve relations with the West. Sky News reported, “Unlike previous expectations of a hardliner candidate’s victory, Pezeshkian’s election as a reformist is at least an unexpected turn from the Iranian perspective.” It added, “With Pezeshkian’s election, Iran’s future has entered a new chapter, and demands for change may be raised beyond the control of the leadership, including Supreme Leader Khamenei.”
At 71, Pezeshkian also specializes in cardiology and has criticized the Iranian government’s strict ethical control during the election campaign, emphasizing that Iran must end its isolation from the international community. He also revealed that he would pursue constructive negotiations with Western countries to save the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear agreement Iran signed with Western countries in 2015. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the former foreign minister who was Iran’s representative in the nuclear negotiations at the time, actively supported Pezeshkian in this election.
However, Ali Vaez, an Iran expert at the Belgium-based think tank International Crisis Group (ICG), predicted that reviving the JCPOA would not be easy, regardless of who becomes the U.S. president in the November election. He explained that Iran’s nuclear development has progressed too far to be reversed, and the situation is too complicated to lift economic sanctions.
