Masoud Pezeshkian won Iran’s presidential runoff election, beating hard-liner Saeed Jalili by promising to reach out to the West and ease enforcement on the country’s mandatory headscarf law. Pezeshkian, a reformist candidate, aims for no radical changes to Iran’s Shiite theocracy and has held Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the final arbiter. However, his victory will be challenged by hard-liners still holding power in Iran, tensions in the Middle East, and Western concerns over Iran enriching uranium. Pezeshkian’s supporters celebrated his win in the streets, although the election turnout was historically low. The election took place amid regional tensions, including Iran’s attack on Israel, uranium enrichment, and talks with the U.S. under President Biden’s administration. Pezeshkian’s victory was not a rout, so he will need to carefully navigate Iran’s internal politics. The election also addressed concerns about the potential impact of a victory by former President Trump in the upcoming November election and the role of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. With more than 61 million Iranians eligible to vote, Pezeshkian’s win marks a shift in Iran’s leadership, which has been under strain from sanctions, protests, and economic challenges. The late President Ebrahim Raisi, a potential successor as supreme leader who died in a helicopter crash, was known for his involvement in mass executions and harsh suppression of dissent.
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