Iran Elects President Who Wants to Revive Nuclear Talks With West
- Pezeshkian defeated hard liner Jalili in runoff election
- Reformist faces many challenges, including Middle East turmoil
Masoud Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old heart surgeon who wants to restart talks with the US over the landmark nuclear deal, was voted president of Iran after an election that underscored major challenges facing the country at home and abroad.
Pezeshkian beat hard-line Islamist Saeed Jalili, 58, by almost 3 million votes in a runoff where the turnout of 49.8% was only marginally better than last week’s first round, according to officials.