Iran elects its first reformist president in decades

Meet Iran’s new president: Masoud Pezeshkian. A former heart surgeon, Pezeshkian is the first reformist leader of the Islamic Republic in decades, defeating ultra-conservative Saeed Jalili in a runoff election by 2.8 million votes. The election was called after former president Ebrahim Raisi’s sudden death in a helicopter crash in May. Pezeshkian addressed the Iranian people after his victory, emphasising the need for “companionship, empathy and trust” for the “difficult path ahead”. His electoral campaign hinged on a re-engagement with the West for sanctions relief by reviving the nuclear deal and easing strict dress codes for women. Turnout in the run-off was 50 per cent – an improvement on historically low levels in the first round. But Pezeshkian may struggle to wield influence in the face of regime hardliners, while Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 85 year-old supreme leader, holds ultimate power. The US State Department said it has “no expectation” the election will bring significant policy changes.