CNN
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Iran's election authority announced on Saturday that reformist candidate Massoud Pezeshkian had won the country's presidential election, beating a hardline rival in a crucial vote amid rising tensions at home and abroad.
Of the 30.5 million votes counted in Friday's runoff election, Pezeshkian narrowly defeated ultra-conservative Said Djalili, who received 44.3 percent, with 53.6 percent of the vote, according to state-run Press TV. Turnout was 49.8 percent, Press TV reported.
Pezeshkian won the most votes in the first round, beating Jalili, and was elected in the second round, in what was the lowest turnout for a presidential election since the Islamic Republic was founded in 1979.
“We extend the hand of friendship to everyone. We are all citizens of this country and we should harness the efforts of everyone for the development of the country,” the president said in his first remarks since winning the election, according to Press TV. He thanked people who voted on Friday with “love and support for the country.”
For Pezeshkian to take office, the Guardian Council, a powerful 12-member body that oversees elections and legislation, must approve the results of the vote.
Pezeshkian will be steered in a country facing growing international isolation, domestic discontent, a worsening economy and the possibility of direct conflict with arch enemy Israel.
The elections that brought Raisi to power came after he was killed in a helicopter crash on Iran's northwestern border in May, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and other government officials. He was the only reformist candidate vying for Iran's top constituency after dozens of others were barred from running.
Following his victory, Pezeshkian called for unity and support among the Iranian people in a statement posted on X.
“Dear Iranian people, the elections are over. This is just the beginning of our support/activism. The difficult road ahead of us cannot be forged without your support, sympathy and trust. I extend my hand to you and pledge on my dignity that I will not leave you alone on this road. Please do not leave me alone,” he wrote.
He supports dialogue with Iran's enemies, especially regarding its nuclear program, and sees it as a way to address Iran's domestic problems.
“The main question is, do you want to solve our problems with the world? I believe that to solve our problems as a country, we have to get out of the gridlock,” Trump said at a presidential debate ahead of the second round of voting.
Leaders of Russia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria and other countries were among the first to congratulate Pezechkian.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said he was “eager to develop and deepen relations that unite our two countries and peoples and serve our common interests,” the state-run Saudi Press Agency said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped Pezechkian's election would expand bilateral cooperation “in all spheres” to “promote regional security and stability,” according to a Kremlin statement.
While the Iranian president does hold certain powers, ultimate authority lies with the supreme leader, who has the final say on all matters of state.
Pezechkian, who served as health minister under reformist President Mohammad Khatami, is a trained cardiac surgeon and member of parliament. He rose to prominence for his stance against the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2009 and the violence perpetrated by the notorious morality police following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. Amini was detained for refusing to comply with the Islamic Republic's strict dress code for women and died in morality police custody. According to the United Nations, hundreds of people have been killed and thousands arrested as authorities tried to quell the protests.
“This is our responsibility. We are trying to enforce our religious beliefs using force. This is scientifically impossible,” Pezeshkian said in an interview with Iran's IRINN TV during the 2022 protests.
“I share some of the responsibility, prominent religious scholars share some of the responsibility, the mosque shares some of the responsibility, and the (Iranian) broadcasting authorities share some of the responsibility,” he said. “Everyone should come forward and be held accountable, instead of just grabbing the girl, beating her and then finally handing her body over (to her family).”
He has presented himself as a candidate who represents all Iranians: “I have supporters on the left and on the right, and I have supporters who don't pray,” he said at a recent presidential debate.
Pezeshkian devoted much of his time to politics after losing his wife and one of his children in a car accident in 1994. He ran unsuccessfully for president in 2013 and 2021.
The 69-year-old comes from a mixed family – his father is Azerbaijani and his mother is Kurdish – and Farsi is not his first language, which has boosted his popularity among Iran's ethnic minorities but also exposed him to xenophobic attacks from some of his opponents.
Experts say a more moderate face in the presidency could foster dialogue between Iran and the West. Domestically, it could also introduce the social changes that Pezechkian highlighted during his election campaign, though experts warn such moves are far from guaranteed.
Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the London think tank Chatham House, said Pezeshkian's election is unlikely to lead to immediate policy changes, “but he has made it clear he will work within and through the system to accommodate a less repressive environment.”
Vakir said there was no guarantee that a reformist president would be able to make these changes, adding that this showed the limits of presidential power in Iran, “but there may be a bit more room for maneuver when it comes to social freedoms.”
Iranian woman Rana Rajavi was pleased with Mr Pezeshkian's election.
“To be honest, I just hope that prices will come down and it will be easier for young people to find work. I don't have any other special feelings,” she said, adding, “I just want girls and people to feel free to walk the streets without worrying that someone will bully them.”
Other factors, particularly Iranian foreign policy, may be more difficult to change.
Pezeshkian took office at a time of rising tensions between Iran and Israel and its Western allies in the wake of the war in Gaza and developments in Iran's nuclear program.
Just three months ago, Iran and Israel exchanged gunfire for the first time as the Gaza conflict escalated, and Israel is now preparing a potential second front against Hezbollah, Iran's main regional proxy in Lebanon.
The dispute between Iran and Israel escalated last week, with Iran's UN mission saying that if Israel “launches a full-scale military invasion” of Lebanon, “a devastating war would break out.”
“All options are on the table, including the full involvement of all resistance fronts,” X reported.
Israeli Foreign Minister Katz responded by saying, “Any regime that threatens to be destroyed deserves to be destroyed.”
Experts said Pezeshkian is not expected to change the current policy toward Israel.
He also praised Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the controversial commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, who was assassinated in a U.S. strike in 2020.
“I see him as a source of national pride and a thorn in the side of our opponents,” he said at a recent presidential debate.
But while Western countries do not believe the election will change relations with Iran, experts say Pezechkian is certainly their preferred candidate, as his opponents have only escalated existing tensions.
Former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, a key ally of Mr. Pezechkian and a reformer who presided over a relatively warm period of international relations nearly a decade ago, has been mentioned as a possible candidate to return to his old job under the new president.
Zarif was Iran's top diplomat when Tehran struck a deal with the United States and other world powers to limit Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief – a deal that has since largely collapsed. He is popular among young Iranians but also criticized by Iranian hardliners for being too friendly to the West.
“With Pezeshkian, the sanctions will likely be lifted, which would be very good for the people,” said Tehran resident Hossein Imani. “So far, I have a positive impression of (Pezshkian), but only if he delivers on his promises.”
But ahead of the election, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has denounced those calling for better ties with the West, and Pezechkian has vowed to defer to Khamenei on foreign policy, making Zarif's appointment far from a sure thing.
