Iran: Who is Masoud Pezeshkian, the reformist president-elect of the Middle Eastern country?

Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian has been elected Iran's new president, defeating his hardline conservative rival Saeed Jalili.

The vote was announced in favor of Pezeshkian after he received 53.3% After counting more than 30 million votes. Yalili got 44.3%.

The second round took place after no candidate obtained a majority in the first round of the June 28 elections, in which electoral participation was recorded. All-time low 40%.

The elections were called in the name of the former president of Iran. Ibrahim RaisiHe was killed in a helicopter crash last May, in which seven other people were killed.

Videos posted on social media showed street celebrations for Pezeshkian in Tehran and several other cities across the country.

In the videos, most of the young men danced and waved the green flag of their campaign, while passing cars honked their horns.

Pezeshkian, a former heart surgeon. He criticizes Iran's notorious morality police and causes uproar after promising 'unity and cohesion'In addition to the end of Iran's “isolation” from the world.

He also called for “constructive negotiations” with Western powers on renewing the 2015 nuclear deal, in which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for relief from Western sanctions.

His rival Saeed Jalili supported this. the current situationThe former nuclear negotiator enjoys strong support among Iran's most religious sects.

Yalili is known for it hardline anti-western stance And his opposition to restoring the nuclear agreement, which he claims crossed Iran's “red lines.”

Initial reports indicated that more people turned out to vote on Friday than in the first round last week. The turnout was the lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Amid widespread discontent.

Some who did not vote in the first round were persuaded to vote for Pezeshkian this time. Prevent Yaleli from becoming president.

They feared that with Jalili's victory, Iran would be headed for failure. greater exposure to the outside world And that it will only bring more sanctions and greater isolation.

In order to present themselves, both candidates had to pass a guided search process by Guardian CouncilIt is a body of 12 clerics and jurists who have great power in Iran.

This process saw 74 other candidates eliminated from the race, including several women.

The Guardian Council has previously been criticised by human rights groups for disqualifying candidates who are not sufficiently loyal to the regime.

After years of civil unrest, culminating in anti-government protests that rocked the country in 2022 and 2023, many young and middle-class Iranians have deep mistrust of the regime. institution They had previously refused to vote.

On Iranian social networks hashtag The Persian “traitor minority” went viral, urging people not to vote for any of the candidates. Anyone who did was described as a “traitor.”

But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected suggestions that the low turnout represented a rejection of his government.

There are reasons [detrás de la baja participación] Politicians and sociologists will examine it, but if anyone thinks that those who did not vote are against institution“It's completely wrong,” he said.

In an unusual statement, Khamenei acknowledged that some Iranians do not accept the current situation.

“We listen to them, we know what they say, it’s not that they’re hidden and we can’t see them,” Ayatotah said.

In Iran, local media encouraged people to vote.

Reformist newspaper Sazandegi “The future is tied to your votes,” he said. Al-Jarida Hamihan “Now it's your turn,” he said.

Newspaper The HamshahriThe Jam-e Jam newspaper, run by the Tehran municipality, ran an article titled “100 reasons to vote,” while the state-run Jam-e Jam newspaper said Iran was “waiting for the people.”