Ayatollah-backed Islamic Hardliner Ebrahim Raisi Wins Landslide Victory In Iran Presidential Election

Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline Islamic cleric and a conservative judge, has won a landslide victory in Iran's presidential election, Fars News, the semi-official news agency of the Iranian government, reported.

Raisi will be the eighth president of Iran.

According to the result declared by the interior ministry of Iran, Raisi received over 17.9 million out of 28.9 million votes polled in the presidential race. The election saw a turnout of little over 48%.

Raisi's main challenger Mohsen Rezaei received 3.4 million votes. Abdol Nasser Hemmati, the former governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), who ran on a reformist agenda, garnered a little over 2 million votes.

Raisi was widely seen as the candidate with the blessing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the country.

Raisi is currently the judicial chief of the country. He had previously served as prosecutor of the cities of Karaj and Hamedan. He also held the position of deputy prosecutor of Tehran.

Educated in an Islamic seminary, Raisi participated in the so-called 'Islamic Revolution' in Iran which saw the ouster of Shah dynasty

In an address to the country, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the winner of the election was the “Iranian nation” and that participation at the polls marked a victory against “propaganda of the enemy's mercenary media,”

"Neither grievances about the hardships of the weaker classes, nor concerns for the threat of an epidemic disease, the dissent that began months ago to discourage the people, and even some disturbances in the voting process during some hours of the election day, could overcome the Iranian nation’s determination and cause problems for the important presidential and city and village councils,” he added.

Raisi's election could potentially complicate the already strained relations between Tehran and Washington. Raisi was targeted by US sanctions in 2019, due to his alleged involvement in the execution of political prisoners in the 1980s, as well as crackdowns on civil unrest in the late 2000s.