Leader hails Iranian nation for 'brilliant job', greets president-elect

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has hailed the Iranian people for their "warm and passionate" turnout in the Friday presidential election, saying what they did in the face of boycott calls was a "brilliant and unforgettable job".

Millions of people went to polling stations in the runoff election across Iran, propelling veteran parliamentarian Masoud Pezeshkian to the presidency in a tight race against former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili.     

"This great move in confronting the manufactured furor of boycotting the elections, which the enemies of the Iranian nation had launched to induce despair and deadlock, is a brilliant and unforgettable job," the Leader said in a message on Saturday.

"All the honorable candidates and all those who worked day and night for weeks for the victory of each of them share in its honor and reward," he added.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the Iranian nation's ability to prepare for a presidential race within a short constitutional time limit after the "great tragedy of the loss of Martyr President" Ebrahim Raeisi and to hold "free and transparent elections on two consecutive Fridays" to choose the president from among several candidates with the majority of votes is a blessing from God.

"The respected electoral officials fulfilled their duties with the necessary speed and full trust, and the dear people came to the arena with a sense of responsibility and created a warm and passionate scene and filled the ballot boxes in two rounds with more than 55 million votes," the Leader said.

"Now that the Iranian nation has elected its president, I congratulate the nation and the president-elect and all those working in this sensitive juncture, especially the enthusiastic youths at the election headquarters of the candidates, and recommend everyone to cooperate and think for the progress and increasing honor of the country," he added.

Ayatollah Khamenei advised that competitive behaviors during the elections be transformed into the "norms of friendship" and everyone try their best for the material and spiritual prosperity of the country.

"I also recommend to the elected President Dr. Pezeshkian to look forward to long and bright horizons with trust in the beneficent God and continue the path of Martyr Raeisi to make the best use of enormous capacities of the country, especially the young, revolutionary and faithful human resources, for the comfort of the people and the progress of the country."

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