Tehran, July 6,2024: Pro-reform candidate Masoud Pezeshkian won the runoff presidential elections held on Friday to become Iran’s ninth president. Pezeshkian, 69, had served as a lawmaker in the Iranian Parliament for five four-year terms.
He was also the vice speaker of Iran’s 10th Parliament. The president-elect served as Iran’s minister of health for four years during the administration of then-President Mohammad Khatami.
Pezeshkian previously also served as the chancellor of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences and currently is a member of the academic staff at the prestigious university in northern Iran.
He previously ran for the presidency in 2013 and 2021 but both times failed to make headway. His presidency promises a shift towards more pragmatic and reformist policies.
Mr Pezeshkian, a seasoned lawmaker and cardiac surgeon, has long supported both domestic and international reforms in Iran. His win is viewed as a call for change since it follows a general unhappiness with the hardline policies of his predecessors. But the dynamics of Iranian politics, where hardliners still control the majority and the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei retains ultimate authority, will put Mr Pezeshkian’s ability to carry out his vision to the test.
India-Iran Ties
India and Iran have historically enjoyed strong economic ties. Under Pezeshkian’s presidency, these ties are likely to deepen.
The focus will be especially on the strategic Chabahar Port, a project to which India has already committed heavy investments. It is an important transit point for trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. India has pledged $120 million for the development of the Shahid-Beheshti Port terminal and offered a $250 million credit line for infrastructure projects in Iran. Experts believe that Iran’s general foreign policy is unlikely to change whoever takes over next; modus operandi and details may, however, be different.
Iran is one of India’s key sources of crude oil. With Iran eyeing an increase in the exports of oil against the backdrop of ongoing Western sanctions, India could be looking at a reliable and arguably cheaper source of crude oil.
Iran Elections
The presidential election in Iran takes place in the backdrop of former President Ebrahim Raisi passing away in a helicopter crash on May 19. The polls saw the lowest turnout of voters since the 1979 Islamic Revolution as only 39.92 per cent of eligible voters took part.
