DoomsdaysCW#Reformist #Pezeshkian beats hard-liner to win Iran presidential election, promising outreach to West
By JON GAMBRELL and AMIR VAHDAT
Updated 2:08 AM EDT, July 7, 2024
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — "Reformist candidate #MasoudPezeshkian won Iran’s runoff presidential election Saturday, besting #hardliner #SaeedJalili by promising to reach out to the West and ease enforcement on the country’s mandatory #headscarf law after years of sanctions and #protests squeezing the Islamic Republic.
"Pezeshkian promised no radical changes to Iran’s Shiite theocracy in his campaign and long has held Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the final arbiter of all matters of state in the country. But even Pezeshkian’s modest aims will be challenged by an Iranian government still largely held by hard-liners, the ongoing #IsraelHamas war in the #Gaza Strip, and Western fears over Tehran enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels with enough of a stockpile to produce several #nuclearweapons if it chose.
"A vote count offered by authorities put Pezeshkian as the winner with 16.3 million votes to Jalili’s 13.5 million in Friday’s election. Overall, Iran’s Interior Ministry said 30 million people voted in an election held without internationally recognized monitors, representing a turnout of 49.6% — higher than the historic low of the June 28 first round vote but lower than other presidential races."
Masoud Pezeshkian wins Iran's presidential runoff election
Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has won Iran’s runoff presidential election, besting hard-liner Saeed Jalili. Pezeshkian has promised to reach out to the West and ease enforcement on the country’s mandatory headscarf law after years of sanctions and protests squeezing the Islamic Republic. He also said there would be no radical changes to Iran’s Shiite theocracy, and long has held Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the final arbiter of all matters of state in the country. But even Pezeshkian’s modest aims will be challenged by an Iranian government still largely held by hard-liners, among other challenges. A vote count offered by authorities put Pezeshkian as the winner with 16.3 million votes to Jalili’s 13.5 million in Friday’s election.
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