Masoud Pezeshkian to be new President of Iran
Masoud Pezeshkian has won the Iran's runoff presidential vote Friday, Press TV reported citing the Interior Ministry, bringing a conclusion to a tight race that saw voters swell polling stations on Friday
Tehran: Masoud Pezeshkian has won the Iran's runoff presidential vote Friday, Press TV reported citing the Interior Ministry, bringing a conclusion to a tight race that saw voters swell polling stations on Friday.
Veteran parliamentarian known for his reformist views, Masoud Pezeshkian defeated hard-liner Saeed Jalili.
Pezeshkian received more than 16 million votes against former nuclear negotiator Jalili with more than 13 million out of over 30 million votes cast, electoral authorities said.
Pezeshkian originally ran against a field of five candidates last week, winning the largest number of votes but falling short of a majority which sent him and Jalili to a second round.
President elections in Iran was held after President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in an air crash May this year.
Following Raisi's death in the chopper accident, Mohammad Mokhber was appointed as Interim President of Iran, and a snap poll to elect new president was announced.
The snap poll held on June 28 ended without a clear winner. As a result, the runoff presidential vote was held on Friday July 05, 2024 that went to Masoud Pezeshkian's favour.
About Masoud Pezeshkian
Pezeshkian is a heart surgeon by profession. Famous as a reformist politician, he entered politics first as Iran's Deputy Health Minister and later as Health Minister.
Pezeshkian was elected as a lawmaker representing Tabriz in northwest Iran in 2006. He later served as Deputy Parliament Speaker described by many as an “independent” politician, a label that was embraced by Pezeshkian in the campaign.
Masoud Pezeshkian won pledging a pragmatic foreign policy and easing of enforcement of Iran's mandatory headscarf law, amid years of protests challenging the Islamic Republic.
He however promised no radical changes to Iran’s Shiite theocracy.
Pezeshkian was born on September 29, 1954, in Mahabad, northwestern Iran, to an Azeri father and Kurdish mother. His wife was a gynecologist. She along with one of their children in a car accident in 1993. He never married again.
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