Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the newly elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He expressed his eagerness to work closely with President Pezeshkian to further strengthen the long-standing bilateral relationship between India and Iran.
PM Modi wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, “Congratulations @drpezeshkian on your election as the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Looking forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our warm and long-standing bilateral relationship for the benefit of our peoples and the region.”
The snap elections were held after President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials died in a helicopter crash in Iran’s remote northwest in May. Pezeshkian’s election marks a critical juncture for Iran as it navigates these significant challenges.
Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian secured a win in the Iranian presidential elections. Out of 30.5 million votes counted in Friday’s runoff, Pezeshkian received over 16.3 million votes, while his ultraconservative rival Saeed Jalili garnered more than 13.5 million votes. The election headquarters under the auspices of the interior ministry reported a 49.8 percent voter turnout.
Pezeshkian was elected in a second round of voting after receiving the highest number of votes in the first round, ahead of Jalili. The first round witnessed the lowest turnout for a presidential election since Iran was established in 1979. He will lead a country facing rising international isolation, internal discontent, a spiraling economy, and the prospect of direct conflict with Israel.