In a decisive outcome, Iran's former Health Minister Masoud Pezeshkian has emerged victorious in the presidential runoff election, as announced by Iran's Interior Ministry on Saturday.
\"By gaining the majority of the votes cast on Friday, Pezeshkian has become Iran's next president,\" stated the ministry.
Pezeshkian secured over 16 million votes, while his closest rival, former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, received more than 13 million votes out of approximately 30 million votes cast. Electorate participation reached a voter turnout of 49.8 percent, according to electoral authority spokesperson Mohsen Eslami.
The snap election was necessitated by the tragic death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May, leading to an accelerated electoral process.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
