Tehran, IRNA – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has congratulated president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian and expressed gratitude to all the candidates and those active in the field of elections.

In a message on Saturday, Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted the need for the president-elect to use the country’s capacities for the welfare of the people and the progress of the country.

The respected officials of the elections performed their duties with the necessary speed and full trust, and the dear people came to the field with a sense of responsibility, created a warm and passionate scene, and cast more than 55 million votes in the two rounds, the message reads.

This great move against the banning of the elections, which the enemies of the Iranian nation had launched to induce despair and deadlock, is a brilliant and unforgettable job, and all the honorable candidates and all those who worked day and night for weeks for the victory of each of them share in its honor, Ayatollah Khamenei said.

“I also advise president-elect Dr. Pezeshkian to look forward to bright horizons with trust in God, and in the continuation of the path of Martyr Raisi, one of the many capacities of the country, especially the young, revolutionary, and faithful human resources, for the comfort of the people and the progress of the country,” he added.

Pezeshkian won the runoff presidential elections held on Friday to become Iran’s 9th president. Out of a total of 30,530,157 votes counted, Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon, won 16,384,403 votes while Saeed Jalili stood behind his rival with 13,538,179 ballots. The turnout was reported to be 49.8%.

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