Iran Elects Reformist President Amid Low Turnout, Young People Celebrate In Streets

The reformist and 'moderate' Masoud Pezeshkian has been elected as Iran's new president, defeating his hardline conservative rival Saeed Jalili, after gaining 53.3% of the 30+ million votes counted.

While Jalili was seen as the status quo candidate, by and large expected to continue his predecessor's policies, Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon and member of the Iranian parliament, has vowed to seek an end to the Islamic Republic's global isolation.

As part of this push, the 71-year old has called for "constructive negotiations" with the West on Iran's nuclear program, in hopes getting US-led sanctions removed or at least softened. Iran has on a monthly basis been expanding its Uranium enrichment and purity, bringing it closer to the ability to produce a nuclear weapon if it decides to do so. Israel has meanwhile threatened preemptive attack if this happens.