Breaking: Masoud Pezeshkian Wins-Iran’s Presidential-Runoff (View-Details)

Breaking: Masoud Pezeshkian Wins-Iran’s Presidential-Runoff (View-Details)

Heart surgeon and reform advocate Masoud Pezeshkian has emerged victorious in Iran’s contested presidential runoff. The lawmaker, who has vowed to engage with the West for reforms to propel Iran forward, triumphed over his hard-fighting rival, Saeed Jalili.

“By gaining a majority of the votes cast on Friday, Pezeshkian has become Iran’s next president,” announced the country’s Ministry of Interior on Saturday.

Pezeshkian secured 53.7 percent of the votes, amounting to 16.3 million, while Jalili received 44.3 percent or 13.5 million votes.

In his first public comments after the results were announced, Pezeshkian emphasized inclusivity. “We are all people of this country; we will use everyone for the progress of the country,” he said on state television.

Shortly after the declaration of results, Jalili conceded defeat and urged Iranians to support the president-elect. “Not only should he be respected, but now we must use all our strength and help him move forward,” Jalili said on television.

The election saw a participation rate of 49.8 percent in the closely fought race between Pezeshkian and Jalili. The runoff followed a June 28 ballot to find a successor to Ebrahim Raisi, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in May.

Political analysts suggest that Pezeshkian’s victory could herald a pragmatic foreign policy, potentially easing tensions over stalled negotiations with major powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and improving prospects for social liberalization in Iran.