Masoud Pezeshkian Wins Elections in Iran
In a surprise election in Iran, a reformist candidate who advocated moderate policies at home and improved relations with the West won a presidential runoff against his hardline rival, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.The reformist candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, 69, a heart surgeon, won 16.3 million votes to defeat Saeed Jalili, who won 13.5 million votes. The result dealt a severe blow to the conservative faction and was a major victory for the reformist camp, which had been sidelined from politics in recent years.According to the Interior Ministry, after polls closed at midnight, voter turnout stood at around 50 percent, about 10 percentage points higher than in the first round, when some 30.5 million votes were cast.The first round had a record low turnout because many Iranians boy...