When Iran held the first round of its Presidential elections, on June 28, Masoud Pezeshkian was a relatively obscure figure to the outside world. His main rival, Saeed Jalili, a former chief nuclear negotiator, was a known conservative. However, Pezeshkian, a reformist, emerged as the highest vote-getter in the first round, 42.5% votes, while Jalili finished second with 38.8% vote. As neither candidate won 50%, they faced a run-off on July 5.
In the run-off, there was a consolidation of conservative voters behind Mr. Jalili. Mr. Pezeshkian’s chances were dependent on a larger turnout by Iran’s liberal-minded voters. The run-off saw a 50% turnout, and Mr. Pezeshkian, the 69-year-old former heart surgeon, won 53.3% of votes to become the Islamic Republic’s ninth President. Mr. Jalilee polled at 44.3%
