World leaders congratulate Iranian President Pezeshkian on his presidential election victory | Election News

Masoud Pezeshkian, who has pledged to open Iran to the world, won the runoff election by a landslide and will become the country's ninth elected president.

The only moderate candidate in the race won 53.7% of the vote, or 16.3 million of the more than 30 million votes cast. His rival Saeed Jalili won 44.3%, or 13.5 million.

On Saturday, Pezeshkian acknowledged that the road ahead was difficult, but he extended his hand to all Iranians. “I extend my hand to you and swear on my honor that I will not leave you alone on this path. Do not leave me alone.”

World leaders congratulated Pezeshkian on his victory.

Russia

President Vladimir Putin congratulated Pezeshkian and said he hoped it would contribute to relations between Russia and Iran.

“I hope that your term as president will contribute to strengthening constructive bilateral cooperation between our friendly peoples,” Putin said.

Ahead of the election, Putin met with Iranian interim President Mohammad Mokhber on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Russia and Iran are negotiating a comprehensive bilateral cooperation agreement, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Saudi Arabia

King Salman and the crown prince congratulated Pezeshkian, the official SPA news agency reported.

“I affirm my desire to develop and deepen relations between our countries and peoples and to serve our mutual interests,” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said.

In March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties in a China-brokered deal after years of tensions. They have since increased regular contacts in an effort to strengthen their relations.

Azerbaijan

President Ilham Aliyev praised the electoral success of the Pezeshkians and said that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to relations with Iran.

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

Iranian elections were scheduled for 2025 but were called earlier than expected after President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in a mountainous area on the Iran-Azerbaijan border on May 19 after a meeting with Aliyev to inaugurate a joint dam project.

Venezuela

Foreign Minister Yvan Gil congratulated Iran for its commitment to democracy demonstrated during the two rounds of the presidential election.

Venezuela expresses its conviction that the decision taken by the Iranian people will contribute to the prosperity of this nation, as well as its consolidation as an emerging power in the emerging multipolar world, Gils' statement said.

Pezeshkian will have the full support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his government in expanding relations and continuing to defeat hegemonic pretensions that threaten multilateralism and world peace.

Iran and Venezuela are close allies and signed a 20-year strategic cooperation plan in 2022 during a visit by Maduro to Tehran.

China

In his message to Pezeshkian, President Xi Jinping said: “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 to deeper progress.”

The two countries have a long history of friendly exchanges and bilateral relations have maintained healthy and stable development for more than half a century, Xi said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

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

India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he looked forward to working closely with Pezeshkian to further strengthen our warm and long-standing bilateral relationship for the benefit of our people and the region.

Congratulations @drpezeshkian I extend my sincere congratulations to you on your election as President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our warm and long-standing bilateral relations for the benefit of our peoples and the region.

Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2024

Iraq

President Abdul Latif Rashid congratulated Iran and the president-elect, wishing him success in his official duties and in realizing the ambitions and aspirations of the Iranian people.

In a message posted on X, he said: “We affirm our willingness to strengthen relations between Iraq and Iran in a way that serves the interests of the two neighboring countries and peoples.”

Pakistan

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 and Iran enjoy close and historical relations. We must ensure a bright future for our two peoples through mutually beneficial cooperation, he wrote on X.

My heartfelt congratulations to my brother, Dr. Massoud Pezeshkian, on his victory in the Iranian presidential elections! I look forward to working closely with President-elect Dr. Pezeshkian to further strengthen bilateral ties between Pakistan and Iran and promote regional peace and stability.

Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 6, 2024

Kuwait

In his congratulatory message, Emir Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah wished Pezeshkian a long and healthy life and further prosperity and development for the Islamic Republic.

Syria

President Bashar al-Assad said that Iran is one of the most important countries with which we want to ensure that relations are at their peak.

This relationship is based on roots established over decades of mutual respect, common understanding and firm principles to which Syria and Iran have always adhered.

“We will work with you to strengthen the Syrian-Iranian strategic relationship and open new promising horizons for bilateral cooperation, as resistance will remain the common approach we follow in order to preserve the pride of our countries and defend the interests of their peoples,” Assad added.

Qatar

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani congratulated Pezeshkian and wished him success and the development and prosperity of common relations.

Belarus

President Alexander Lukashenko called the victory of the Pezeshkians an unconditional victory of the Iranian people.

The voting results confirm your high political authority and demonstrate the public's support for the country's leadership in defending Iran's national interests, creating prospects for its citizens and cooperating with countries in your region, Belta news agency quoted Lukashenko as saying.

The dialogue between Minsk and Tehran at all levels is constantly developing. I am confident that in the near future we will be able to implement all the agreements reached, including those on raising the level of Belarusian-Iranian relations to the level of a strategic partnership.

United Arab Emirates

President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said he wished Pezeshkian success in his duties and looked forward to working together to further strengthen UAE-Iran ties for the benefit of our two nations and peoples.

The UAE has had decades of trade ties with Tehran, but upgraded relations in 2019 after downgrading them three years earlier. In April, the two countries held a joint meeting of the Economic Cooperation Commission for the first time in 10 years.