End of compulsory hijab and isolation of Iran: promises of new Iranian president

He opposes the compulsory hijab law and wants to end Iran’s “isolation from the world.” Masoud Pezeshkian was elected president of Iran with more than 16 million votes and promised to “start a new cycle in the country.” The 69-year-old heart surgeon won the second round of Iran’s presidential election to replace Ibrahim Raisi, the leader who died in a helicopter crash during an official visit.

Calling himself a reformist, Masoud Pezeshkian promises to reverse some of the most restrictive measures currently in place in Iran and establish a new relationship with the West. “The path forward will not be easy unless you have company, compassion and trust,” Pezeshkian wrote on social media after his victory.

The country’s first round of elections saw record low turnout as many citizens boycotted the vote in protest. According to international media, voters were tempted to vote for Pezeshkian not because of his profile, but because they feared the election of Said Jalili, an ultra-conservative politician who aimed to enforce strict social rules, including the mandatory wearing of the hijab for women.

Masoud Pezeshkian said during the election campaign that he recognized that economic recovery was inextricably linked to foreign policy, namely the impasse with the West over the nuclear program, and that he would negotiate the lifting of sanctions.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, wields the most power in the country’s government. Iran’s elections are neither free nor fair by Western standards, and the selection of candidates is tightly controlled by the Guardian Council, a 12-member appointed committee of six clerics and six jurists.

Iran was forced to go to the polls after Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash near Azerbaijan, sparking the largest protests against the government in decades.