Masoud Pezeshkian Elected Iran's President

Facts

• Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, a former heart surgeon turned lawmaker, was declared Iran's new president on Saturday after defeating conservative Saeed Jalili in a presidential runoff.¹
• According to election officials, Pezeshkian secured 53.7% of the vote with 16.4M ballots in his favor, while Jalili received 13.5M of the votes.²
• The snap presidential election was held after a helicopter crash on May 19 killed former Pres. Ebrahim Raisi, his foreign minister, and several other Iranian officials.³
• Following his victory, Pezeshkian thanked the voters and said: 'We will extend the hand of friendship to everyone; we are all people of this country and should utilize everyone's efforts for the nation's progress.'⁴
• The presidential runoff came after the first round of voting on June 28 had a record-low voter turnout of 40%, with no candidate securing a majority.¹
• While Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, sought to expand Iran's ties with China and Russia, Pezeshkian pledged to foster closer relations with the West and relax hijab enforcement.²
• While Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, sought to expand Iran's ties with China and Russia, Pezeshkian pledged to foster closer relations with the West and relax hijab enforcement.³

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²Al Jazeera, ³Associated Press and ⁴MSN.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Al Jazeera. While there are question marks about how much he can achieve, Pezeshkian's election could see a more pluralistic Iran where repression is eased and the country has healthier ties with the West, including the possibility that Iran will better engage in nuclear discussions.
• Narrative B, as provided by Guardian. Pezeshkian's victory will create little change in Iran. Despite his campaign promises, the country is still controlled by the Islamic theocracy of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his cast of conservative hardliners. Pezeshkian has vowed not to challenge the existing structures.

Predictions