Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian Wins Iran’s Presidential Vote

Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has won Iran’s presidential election.

Eko Hot Blog reports the state news agency Press TV reported Saturday, citing the country’s election headquarters.

Pezeshkian defeated his hardline rival in a pivotal vote amid rising tensions both domestically and internationally.

Out of 30.5 million votes counted in Friday’s runoff, Pezeshkian received more than 16.3 million votes, while his ultraconservative opponent Saeed Jalili garnered over 13.5 million, according to Press TV. The voter turnout was reported to be 49.8%, the lowest for a presidential election since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.

Pezeshkian secured the presidency in the second round of voting after leading in the first round. He will lead a country grappling with increasing international isolation, internal unrest, a spiralling economy, and potential conflict with Israel.

The election was necessitated by the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May, which also claimed the lives of Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials. Pezeshkian was the only reformist candidate allowed to run after many candidates were barred.

Pezeshkian advocates for dialogue with Iran’s adversaries, particularly regarding its nuclear program, as a means to address domestic issues. “The primary issue is the perspective: Do we want to solve our problems with the world or not? I believe we must get out of the deadlock to solve the country’s problems,” he said at a recent presidential debate.

Despite holding some powers, the president’s authority in Iran is ultimately subordinate to the Supreme Leader, who has the final say on all state matters.Who is Masoud Pezeshkian?

Who is Masoud Pezeshkian?

A trained heart surgeon and lawmaker, Pezeshkian served as health minister under reformist president Mohammad Khatami. He gained prominence for his opposition to the crackdown on the 2009 pro-democracy protests and the violence by the morality police in 2022 following Mahsa Amini’s death. Amini died in custody after being detained for violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code for women. The ensuing protests led to hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests, according to the United Nations.

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

“I bear part of the blame, the distinguished religious scholars and the mosques bear part of the blame, and the (Iranian) broadcasting authority bears part of the blame,” he said. “Everybody should step forward and be held accountable, rather than capture that girl, beat her up, and eventually deliver her body (to her family).”

Pezeshkian has positioned himself as a candidate for all Iranians. “Among my supporters are both left and right, even those who do not pray,” he said at a recent presidential debate.

After losing his wife and one of his children in a 1994 car crash, he dedicated much of his time to politics. Pezeshkian previously ran for president in the 2013 and 2021 elections but did not succeed.

The 69-year-old comes from an ethnically mixed family, with an Azeri father and a Kurdish mother. Persian is not his mother tongue, which has enhanced his appeal among Iran’s minorities but also subjected him to xenophobic attacks from some opponents.

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