Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian is all set to become next president of Iran as he has secured victory in the presidential run-off by defeating Saeed Jalili.
The country’s Ministry of Interior made the announcement about victory of Pezeshkian, who is a heart surgeon and lawmaker. He had promised to reach out to the West for settling the issues.
“By gaining [the] majority of the votes cast on Friday, Pezeshkian has become Iran’s next president,” the ministry said on Saturday.
Pezeshkian secured 16.3 million or 53.7% votes while the runner-up Jalili got 13.5 million or 44.3% votes.
In his first public comments after winning the polls, Pezeshkian thanked those who voted to help the country.
“We will extend the hand of friendship to everyone; we are all people of this country; we should use everyone for the progress of the country,” he was quoted as saying in an Al Jazeera report.
Huge number Pezeshkian’s supporters took to the streets of Tehran and other cities to celebrate his victory.
The run-off elections were held on Friday followed a June 28 ballot which recorded a historically low turnout, when more than 60 percent of Iranian voters abstained from participating in the snap elections, which were called following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in an helicopter crash in May.
