Reformer or “lame duck” ? Who is the new Iranian president Massoud Pezeshkian ?

This Saturday, July 6, 2024, Massoud Pezeshkian was elected as the new president of Iran, two months after the death of Ebrahim Raissi in a helicopter crash.

Massoud Pezeshkian, a candidate seen as a moderate who is committed to opening Iran to the world, won the second round of the presidential election, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Saturday. Interior.

"By winning the majority of votes on Friday, Massoud Pezeshkian became the new president of Iran", the ministry said. The participation rate in the second round was around 50%. That of the first round was around 40%, the lowest ever recorded since the 1979 revolution.

Succeeding Ebrahim Raissi

Four candidates were in the running to succeed Ebrahim Raïssi, killed in a helicopter accident in May, after the candidacy of two others was rejected by the Iranian Council of Revolutionary Guards.

The main opponent of Massoud Pezeshkian, loyal to the theocratic Iranian regime supported by the reformist faction, was Saïd Jalili, a former Iranian nuclear negotiator, particularly intransigent. Videos posted on social media showed supporters of Massoud Pezeshkian dancing to the sound of horns in the streets of several cities.

In Urmia, a city in northwestern Iran where Massoud Pezeshkian is from, residents distributed sweets in the streets, according to witnesses.

Limited impact

In the Iranian theocratic system, the president manages the day-to-day affairs of the government while the main decisions are made by the supreme leader of the Islamic revolution, who for example has the final say on nuclear power and foreign policy.

The final outcome of the election is therefore unlikely to have much impact on politics but could influence the succession of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Iranian presidential election took place in a context of renewed tensions in the Middle East due to the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Tensions are further fueled by the fire exchanged between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah since the start of the Gaza war in October. Tehran is also facing increased international pressure regarding the development of its nuclear program.

Massoud Pezeshkian's victory could, however, help ease tensions with the West, improve the prospect of economic reform, and promote social liberalization and political pluralism, according to analysts.

Sceptical voters

Nevertheless, many voters were skeptical about Massoud Pezeshkian's ability to honor his campaign promises, with the former Minister of Health having already indicated that he does not want to do so. had no intention of challenging the Iranian elite.

"I didn't vote last week, but today I voted for (Massoud) Pezeshkian. I know he will be a lame duck but he still makes a better president than a radical", said Afarin, owner of’ rsquo;a beauty salon in Isfahan, in central Iran.

Many Iranians have painful memories of how the anti-regime protests sparked by the 2022 death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman arrested for violating the code Iranian clothing, were repressed.

"I will not vote. It’s NO to the Islamic Republic because of Mahsa Amini. I want a free country. I want to live a free life, said Sepideh, a 19-year-old student in Tehran.