Khamenei claims victory with less than 50% turnout, calls on new president to continue path

Political analyst Mohsen Sazegara told Iran International that Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, ultimately decides whose name comes out from the ballot boxes.

Earlier in the day, President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian, during a speech at the burial site of Ruhollah Khomeini, said, "First, I must thank Khamenei. Certainly, without him, I don't think my name would have come out of the ballot boxes so easily."

During his campaign, Pezeshkian mentioned that he had no specific program and would implement Khamenei's policies.

Exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi says the results of the election shows that the Iranian nation has rejected the Islamic Republic’s rule as “illegitimate.”

"This is a watershed moment in the history of the Iranian nation’s movement: the largest display of nonviolent, civil resistance against this regime in 45 years," he said on X.

President-elect Pezeshkian held a meeting with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday evening local time.

According to Iranian media, Saeed Jalili, the candidate who lost to Pezeshkian in the runoff, also met with Khamenei earlier in the day.

Leaders from Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Kuwait, India, Iraq, Malaysia and several others have congratulated President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian and called for stronger ties.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Pezeshkian on Saturday, urging “to further strengthen our warm and long-standing bilateral relationship for the benefit of our peoples and the region”.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev welcomed Pezeshkian’s success and said Baku placed “great importance” on relations with Iran.

“I am confident that through our joint efforts, we will ensure further strengthening of the traditional friendly relations and the expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran in line with the interests of our peoples and countries,” Aliyev said, as he invited Pezeshkian to visit.

Venezuela's Foreign Minister Yvan Gil also congratulated Pezeshkian's victory, saying, “Venezuela expresses its conviction that the decision made by the Iranian people will contribute to the prosperity of this nation, as well as its consolidation as an emerging power in the nascent multipolar world."

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also sent a congratulatory message, expressing his eagerness to strengthen bilateral relations.

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid also conveyed his congratulations to Pezeshkian and expressed Iraq's keenness to enhance ties.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he looked forward to working closely with Pezeshkian, and promoting peace and stability in the region.

“As neighboring countries, Pakistan & Iran enjoy a close & historic relationship. We must ensure a bright future for our two peoples through mutually beneficial cooperation,” he wrote on X.

In his message, Emir Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah of Kuwait wished Pezeshkian a long and healthy life and “more prosperity and development for the Islamic Republic”.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also congratulated Pezeshkian and wished him success.

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said, “The voting results confirm your high political authority and testify to the public support for the course of the country’s leadership in defending the national interests of Iran, creating prospects for its citizens and cooperation with the countries of your region."

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday congratulated Pezeshkian for his win in the presidential runoff election.

"I attach great importance to the development of China-Iran relations and am willing to work with the President to lead the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership towards deeper advancement," state news agency Xinhua reported Xi as saying

The two countries "have a long history of friendly exchanges, and bilateral relations have maintained healthy and stable development... for over half a century," Xi said, according to Xinhua.

"Faced with complex regional and international situations, China and Iran have always supported each other, worked together and continued to consolidate strategic mutual trust," he added.

"(This) has not only brought benefits to our two countries' peoples, but has also made active contributions to promoting regional and world peace and stability," he said.

As a close partner of Iran, China is its largest trade partner, and a top buyer of its sanctioned oil, mainly via its small refineries, known as teapots. The caveat is Iran's huge discounts on its crude.

Former President Hassan Rouhani extended his congratulations to President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian.

Rouhani said that the people voted for constructive engagement with the world and the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), signed during Rouhani’s tenure.

He also stressed that the government and authorities must not ignore those who did not participate in the election.

Rejecting allegations by other presidential runners who described Pezeshkian’s administration as the continuation of Rouhani’s, he said that “the 14th administration is the first government of Dr. Pezeshkian, not a continuation of previous administrations.”

President-elect Pezeshkian’s press conference, scheduled to be held on Saturday afternoon Tehran time, has been canceled.

The event was supposed to take place in Tehran with both domestic and international journalists in attendance.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has thanked all candidates and people involved in holding the presidential elections, saying that the nearly 50-percent voter turnout neutralized calls to boycott the elections.

“This grand act of defiance against the fabricated uproar of election boycott, which the enemies of the Iranian nation had orchestrated to instill despair and deadlock, is a brilliant and unforgettable feat,” he said. 

After a lackluster voter turnout in the first round of elections on June 28, Khamenei admitted that the participation rate was disappointing and “less than expected.” After he cast his vote in the runoff, he expressed hope that more people would show up for the second round."I have heard that people's enthusiasm and interest is higher than before (the previous round), I hope it is true" he said trying to sound positive.

In his message on Saturday, Khamenei also called on the newly elected president to continue the path of the late President Ebrahim Raisi.

Syrian President Bashar Assad congratulated Masoud Pezeshkian on his election as the Iranian president.

In his message, Assad said that Syria and the Islamic Republic would work towards "strengthening strategic relations and opening new horizons for bilateral cooperation."