Reformist Pezeshkian wins Iran's presidential race
Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has won Iran’s presidential election, state-run Press TV reported Saturday, citing the country’s election headquarters. He defeated his hardline rival in a pivotal vote amid heightened tensions both domestically and internationally, CNN said.
Out of 30.5 million votes counted in Friday’s runoff, Pezeshkian won more than 16.3 million, edging out ultraconservative Saeed Jalili, who won more than 13.5 million, according to Press TV. Voter turnout was 49.8%, Press TV reported.
Pezeshkian was elected in a second round of voting after securing the highest number of ballots in the first round, ahead of Jalili. The first round saw the lowest voter turnout for a presidential election since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979.