Previous to the vote, the 69-year-old cardiac surgeon had solely minimal publicity as a nationwide political determine —however he was the only reformist accredited to run after snap elections had been referred to as following the demise of Ebrahim Raisi in a Could helicopter crash. Pezeshkian netted 16.3 million votes, in line with the nation’s election headquarters, virtually 3 million greater than Jalili, his nearest rival, who trailed behind with about 13.5 million.
His victory over Iran’s conservatives comes at a crucial time for the nation because it faces heightened regional tensions and a standoff with the West over its nuclear program.
Conservatives dominated the poll within the first spherical of voting on June 28, however assist was cut up amongst Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, and one other major contender, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
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Ghalibaf endorsed Jalili as soon as the vote went to a runoff, a transfer some analysts mentioned would enhance the latter candidate’s possibilities of successful the presidency. However Pezeshkian seems to have mobilized broader assist, interesting to extra average conservatives and producing greater turnout inside his base.
Right here’s what to find out about Iran’s new president, and the challenges he faces.
A veteran of the Iran-Iraq struggle who served in parliament and as Iran’s well being minister, Pezeshkian has pushed for average reform however with out difficult the nation’s system of theocratic rule underneath Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme chief.
Whereas campaigning for president, he advocated loosening some social restrictions and fascinating with the US over Iran’s nuclear program to raise sanctions which have crippled the financial system. Pezeshkian’s supporters cite his heritage as an Azeri, one among Iran’s ethnic minorities, as one of many causes they are saying he can act as a unifying pressure within the nation.
Following his win on Saturday, Pezeshkian addressed the Iranian folks in a press release posted to X, saying: “That is only the start of our cooperation… I prolong my hand to you and I swear on my honor that I cannot depart you alone on the trail (forward).”
He additionally pledged to bridge what he described because the “hole” in Iran between the folks and the federal government. “I’ll do the whole lot potential to have a look at those that weren’t seen by the highly effective and whose voices will not be heard. We’ll make poverty, discrimination, struggle, lies and corruption disappear from this nation,” he mentioned throughout a rally this week.
Pezeshkian’s victory exhibits he was in a position to broaden his base of assist, pulling from each the reformist and conservative ranks, mentioned Mehrzad Boroujerdi, an Iran analyst and dean at Missouri College of Science and Know-how.
However as soon as in workplace, Iran’s conservatives may frustrate the plans Pezeshkian set out throughout his marketing campaign.
“The conservatives will attempt to create obstacles from day one,” Boroujerdi mentioned. “He received’t have a lot of a honeymoon. … They’ll apply the brakes to no matter Pezeshkian will attempt to do.”
Jalili issued a congratulatory word to Pezeshkian on Saturday, conceding defeat and vowing to assist the incoming president within the frequent aim of “elevating” the Islamic republic.
Ali Khameneiissued a message selling unity after a marketing campaign that noticed uncommon public acknowledgements of the various challenges dealing with Iran.
“It’s time for aggressive election-related behaviors to show into the morals of companionship” he mentioned in a press release.
On the similar time, low voter turnout and widespread public apathy weakened Pezeshkian’s mandate.
Earlier this week,Khamenei addressed considerations concerning the lack of voter participation in remarks broadcast by state-backed media.
“If the folks reveal higher participation within the elections, the Islamic Republic system will be capable of obtain its phrases, intentions, and objectives each inside the nation and in addition within the broader strategic expectations of the nation,” Khamenei mentioned, in line with a abstract of the remarks posted to X on Wednesday.
Iran’s clerical rulers see excessive turnout as key to their legitimacy at a time when they’re dealing with each home and regional crises.
Throughout the Center East — from Gaza to Lebanon and Yemen — armed teams allied with Iran are attacking Israel and its backers, threatening American army bases and disrupting world delivery lanes. In April, after an Israeli assault on an Iranian diplomatic constructing in Damascus, Syria, Tehran launched its first direct army assault on Israel, bringing a years-long shadow struggle into the open.
At house, many Iranians are nonetheless reeling from the brutal authorities crackdown on nationwide protests that erupted in 2022, following the demise of Mahsa Amini, a younger Kurdish girl, within the custody of the extensively reviled “morality police.”
Within the rebellion’s aftermath, the regime doubled down, sentencing some protesters to demise and growing penalties for girls who disobey its strict costume codes.
Amid simmering social unrest and a deepening financial disaster, the presidential marketing campaign featured some uncommon acknowledgment of the challenges confronted by the nation’s ruling class — an indication, analysts say, of how severe these challenges have grow to be.
“It has reached a stage the place it’s simply unattainable to miss it,” mentioned Ali Vaez, the Iran mission director for the Worldwide Disaster Group. “The hole between the state and the society has reached a stage the place it can’t simply be painted over.”
When requested about girls’s rights and the harsh enforcement of the hijab legislation, Pezeshkian mentioned he agreed with the obligatory costume code and mentioned all the girls in his household put on the chador, a protracted, free black cloak that covers the complete physique from head to toe. However he additionally questioned the way in which feminine costume codes are enforced in Iran.
“The view that ladies are second-rate residents and are created just for the sake of the household is one thing that should change,” he mentioned throughout a presidential debate. “Ladies [exist along] with males within the financial system, in science and in business, and we must always return them to their place.”
Frances Vinall contributed to this report.
