Masoud Pezeshkian, A Heart Surgeon, Elected as the New President of Iran
Image Credits: India TV News
Iran, a Middle Eastern nation, has welcomed its new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian, a reformist, defeated his hardline conservative rival, Saeed Jalili, in the presidential race.
In the run-off, Pezeshkian secured 53.3% of more than 30 million votes, while Jalili received 44.3%. Since no candidate won a majority in the first round on June 28, a second round was held, leading to Pezeshkian’s victory.
The election was held after the previous president, Ebrahim Raisi, died in a helicopter crash in May.
Even before the results were announced, many of Pezeshkian’s supporters celebrated in Tehran and other cities. Social media showed young people dancing in the streets and waving the green flag of his campaign.
Pezeshkian, a 71-year-old heart surgeon and member of parliament, is critical of Iran’s morality police and wants to promote unity and end the country’s isolation. He aims for constructive negotiations with Western nations to renew the 2015 nuclear deal, which involves Iran limiting its nuclear program in exchange for easing Western sanctions.
In contrast, Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, has strong support from religious communities, opposes the nuclear deal, and maintains an anti-Western stance.
The second round had a 50% turnout, higher than the first round, which had a historically low turnout due to widespread discontent and election boycotts. Many people who didn’t vote in the first round were persuaded to vote in the second round to prevent Jalili’s victory, fearing that his win would lead to more confrontation with the outside world and increased sanctions.
The Guardian Council, a powerful body of 12 clerics and jurists, disqualified 74 candidates, including women, for not being loyal to the regime.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected claims that the low turnout indicated rejection of his rule, though he acknowledged some dissatisfaction. “There are reasons for the low turnout, and politicians and sociologists will examine them, but if anyone thinks that those who did not vote are against the establishment, they are plainly wrong,” he said.
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