A reformist candidate advocating moderate policies at home and improving relations with the West triumphed over hardline rivals in a presidential runoff in a troubling election in Iran, results released by Iran’s interior ministry showed on Saturday.
The winner, 69-year-old cardiac surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian, received 16.3 million votes, defeating Saeed Jalili with 13.5 million votes. This is a blow to conservatives in Iran’s ruling establishment and a major victory for the relatively moderate reformist camp that has been marginalized in the past few years.
According to the Interior Ministry, turnout after voting closed at midnight was about 50%, about 10 percentage points higher than in the first round, with about 30.5 million votes cast.
Turnout in the first round of voting was record low as many Iranians boycotted in protest. But the hard-line government will double down on strict social rules, including forcing women to wear headscarves, and remain defiant in talks to lift international economic sanctions, clearly spurring Iranian participation.
“Without your companionship, sympathy and trust, the difficult road ahead would not have been smooth sailing,” Pezeshkian wrote on social media after his win. In another post, he thanked young people for “working for Iran with passion and sincerity” and “bringing a glimmer of hope and confidence for the future.”
Pezeshkian said during the campaign that he recognized that solving economic problems and foreign policy (namely, the confrontation with the West over the nuclear program) are inextricably linked, and that he would negotiate the lifting of sanctions.
He has said he opposes mandatory hijab laws. But when it comes to Iran’s hostility to Israel, it’s a matter of national policy set at the highest levels, and the incoming president is unlikely to deviate from that policy.
While Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the most power in the government, analysts say the incoming president will shape domestic policy and influence the shape of foreign policy.
“Despite all the limitations and failures of the past, a reform-minded president would still be significantly better — and in some important respects it would put some limits on the Islamic Republic’s authoritarianism,” said Middle East studies professor Nader Hashemi. .
Pezeshkian’s supporters took to the streets before dawn on Saturday after he was declared the winner, honking horns, dancing and cheering outside his campaign offices in many cities, including his hometown of Tabriz. On social media, they congratulated Iranians for going to the polls to “save Iran,” Mr. Pezeshkian’s campaign slogan.
“The end of the rule of the majority by the minority,” said Ali Akbar Behmanesh, a reformist politician and head of Pezeshkian’s campaign in Mazandaran province. “Congratulations on the victory of wisdom over ignorance, ”He is at X.
Some of Jalili’s conservative supporters said on social media that the turnout was a victory for the Islamic Republic no matter who won, and they hoped the new government would work to bridge the divide between political factions.
“The great will of the Iranians has once again been demonstrated to embarrass the enemies of the revolution, the system and the Islamic homeland, especially the evil efforts and plans of the Western Zionist media empire,” Khamenei said in a congratulatory statement. winner, champion. He called on people across the country to unite and prosper together.
The special election was held after President Ibrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in May. Mr Pezeshkian’s new term will last four years.
Iran’s elections are not free or fair by Western standards, and candidate selection is closely scrutinized by the Guardian Council, a 12-member nominating committee that includes six clerics and six jurists. But governments have long viewed voter turnout as a sign of legitimacy.
The two candidates in the runoff come from opposite ends of Iran’s political spectrum and represent different visions of Iran, with implications for domestic and regional politics.
In the days leading up to the election, Pezeshkian’s campaign rallies drew larger, younger crowds. Prominent politicians such as former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif campaigned for him, saying the choice was “between day and night”.
The message that voters should go to the polls out of fear of Jalili seemed to resonate.
“I’m going to vote because if I don’t vote, the Islamic Republic will not be overthrown, but it will help elect a hardline president that I don’t accept,” said the 24-year-old fashion designer in the capital Tehran in Bahr el Ghazal. said in a telephone interview. Like others interviewed, she asked to be identified only by her first name for fear of attracting government attention.
Sediqa, a 41-year-old pediatrician in Tehran, also gave up her boycott on Friday and voted for Pezeshkian, although she said by phone that she did not expect either president to bring about the meaningful changes people are demanding. .
“I voted because I think we need some small, incremental changes to make our lives a little better,” she said. “If there was a president who could or wanted to make those small changes, that would be enough for now. .
Mr. Pezeshkian is a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war and served in parliament for 16 years, including four years as deputy speaker and health minister. After his wife died in a car accident, he raised his children as a single father and never remarried, something unusual in Iran. This, combined with his status as an Azerbaijani, one of Iran’s ethnic minorities, endeared him to many voters. His daughter was by his side at every campaign rally and major speech.
Many conservatives crossed party lines to vote for Pezeshkian because they said Jalili was too extreme and would exacerbate domestic tensions.
“Mr. Jalili cannot unite Iranians,” he said live. “He will divide us even more and we need someone who can bridge those divisions.” “
Pezeshkian pledged to work with his rivals to address the many challenges facing Iran.
Jalili’s campaign message was that he would defend revolutionary ideals and continue to challenge challenges such as sanctions and nuclear negotiations. He congratulated the victors on Saturday and said he wanted to help the government solve the country’s problems.
In the days leading up to the vote, prominent politicians and clerics called Jalili “delusional,” compared him to the Taliban in Afghanistan and warned that his presidency would put the country on a path to conflict with the United States and Israel.
Iran’s reformists say Pezeshkian’s campaign has given a boost to their political movement. That year, competitive candidates were disqualified.
Many Iranians have called for an end to authoritarian clerical rule during waves of protests, including a 2022 uprising led by women, with crowds chanting “conservatives, reformists, game over.”
The government has brutally suppressed dissent, killing more than 500 people and arresting tens of thousands in recent uprisings. Half of eligible voters – about 61 million people – were absent from the election, saying a vote for the government would be a betrayal of all victims, reflecting widespread anger and loss of hope.
Mahsa, a 34-year-old accountant from Isfahan, said by phone that she refused to vote and did not believe in the logic that she would have to choose between good and bad.
“I think this election is government propaganda – a ridiculous mask behind which everything is controlled by a dictator.”
A daunting set of challenges awaits the victor: an economy weakened by years of international economic sanctions, a frustrated electorate and geopolitical stumbling blocks that have twice pushed Iran to the brink of war this year. Many Iranians accuse the government of undermining the economy, limiting social freedoms and isolating the country.
During his tenure, Mr. Lacey developed a strategy to expand Iran’s regional influence and strengthen ties with Russia and China. Iran-backed militant groups have expanded their influence and acquired more advanced weapons across the Middle East, while the country’s nuclear program has been upgraded to weapons after President Donald J. Trump withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal in 2018 threshold level.
As the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza intensifies, Iran-backed militant proxies have opened new fronts against Israel from Yemen to Lebanon. Those tensions brought Iran to the brink of war with Israel in April and the United States in February.
Iran’s hostility to Israel and support for the Palestinians are part of the core tenets of its ruling system and will almost certainly not change with a new president. In fact, Pezeshkian said in interviews with Iranian media that he would negotiate with all countries except Israel.
Riley Nikunazar and Alyssa J. Rubin Contributed reporting.
