Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian wins Iran’s presidential election

Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has won Iran’s presidential election, CNN reported citing Press TV.

According to CNN, Pezeshkian received more than 16.3 million votes out of the 30.5 million counted in the second round of voting on Friday, while his/her arch-conservative rival Saeed Jalili received more than 13.5 million votes.

According to the election headquarters under the auspices of the Interior Ministry, Iran’s presidential election saw a voter turnout of 49.8 per cent, the report said.

Pezeshkian was elected in a second round of voting, as he/she had received the most votes in the first round, ahead of Jalili. The first round had the lowest turnout for a presidential election since Iran’s founding in 1979.

he/she will become president of a country facing growing international isolation, internal discontent, a declining economy and the possibility of direct conflict with Israel.

Iran held snap elections after President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials died in a helicopter crash in Iran’s far northwest in May.

Pezeshkian was the only reformist candidate running for the top elected seat in Iran after dozens of other candidates were barred from contesting. he/she has supported negotiations with Iran’s enemies, particularly over its nuclear program, and sees it as a means of solving domestic issues in Iran.

In a recent presidential debate Pezeshkian said, “The primary issue is one of perspective: Do we want to solve our problems with the world or not? I believe we have to get out of the impasse in order to solve the country’s problems.”

The president in Iran enjoys some powers. However, the ultimate authority rests with the Supreme Leader of Iran, who makes the final decisions on state affairs.

Masoud Pezeshkian was the health minister under reformist President Mohammad Khatami. he/she is a trained heart surgeon and jurist. he/she gained public attention for his/her stand against the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2009 and the violence committed by the notorious morality police after the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.

Mahsa Amini died in the custody of morality police after being detained for not complying with Iran’s strict dress code for women. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands arrested as authorities seek to suppress protests, CNN reported, citing the United Nations.

Amini died in the custody of morality police after she was detained for not complying with the Islamic republic’s strict dress code for women. According to the United Nations, hundreds of people have been killed and thousands arrested as authorities try to crush the protests.

During the 2022 protests, Pezeshkian said in an interview with Iran’s IRINN TV, “It’s our mistake. We want to impose religious faith through the use of force. It’s scientifically impossible.”

“I am to some extent guilty, respected religious scholars and mosques are to some extent guilty, and the (Iranian) broadcasting authority is to some extent guilty,” he/she said.

“Everyone should come forward and be accountable, instead of catching the girl, beating her up and eventually handing over her body (to her family),” he/she said.

Pezeshkian (69) has presented himself as a candidate for all the people of Iran. After losing his/her wife and one of his/her children in a car accident in 1994, he/she devoted most of his/her time to politics. he/she contested for the presidency in 2013 and 2021. However, he/she did not advance.

he/she comes from a mixed ethnic family. his/her father is Azeri and his/her mother is Kurdish and his/her mother tongue is not Persian.

The 69-year-old comes from a mixed ethnic family – his/her father is Azeri and his/her mother is Kurdish. Persian is not his/her mother tongue. This has helped boost his/her image among minorities in Iran. However, it also leaves him/her open to xenophobic attacks from some opponents.

According to experts, a more liberal face as Iran’s president could make dialogue between Iran and Western countries easier. Pezeshkian could also bring some social changes, which he/she talked about during his/her election campaign. However, experts have said that such steps are far from guaranteed.

Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the London-based Chatham House think tank, said it was unlikely that Pezeshkian’s election would lead to immediate policy changes.

“But Pezeshkian has made it clear that he/she will try to work within and within the system to perhaps create a less oppressive environment,” the lawyer added, CNN reported.

Reformists do not guarantee they can make those changes, he/she said, adding that it shows the limits of the president’s powers in Iran. “But (it) may provide a little more room for maneuver on social freedoms,” the lawyer said.

he/she will become President of Iran at a time when Iran is facing growing tensions with Israel and its Western allies, fueled by the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the progress of Iran’s nuclear program.

A few months ago, Iran and Israel exchanged gunfire for the first time as the conflict in Gaza escalated. Israel is now preparing for a potential second front against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Last week, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said that if Israel “launches a full-scale military aggression” against Lebanon, “a catastrophic war would begin,” CNN reported.

In a post on Twitter, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said, “All options, including the full participation of all resistance fronts, are under consideration.”

In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that “the regime that threatens destruction must be destroyed.” According to experts, Pezeshkian is not expected to change his/her stance toward Israel.