Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani wins re-election
In what is seen as a victory for moderates who support limiting Iran’s nuclear powers, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won the presidential election on Saturday. He will remain in office another four years.
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The vote was seen as a referendum on Iran’s nuclear deal, which Rouhani negotiated with the U.S., European Union and other international powers. It is the first presidential election since the deal was made in 2015.
Rouhani, a moderate, supports international engagement. He defeated Ebrahim Raisi, a conservative cleric known for his hardline Iran-first ideology and seen as a potential threat to the stability of the nuclear deal.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Saturday that the U.S. hopes Rouhani will “begin a process of dismantling Iran’s network of terrorism” in his second term.
“We also hope that he puts an end to their ballistic missile testing,” Tillerson said at a press conference in Saudi Arabia. “We also hope that he restores the rights of Iranians.”
Rouhani garnered a comfortable 57 percent of the vote, according to reports. Voter engagement was high in Iran for this election, with turnout reported above 70 percent.
– This story was updated at 1:22 p.m.
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