Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, who promised to reach out to the West in an effort to ease tensions, defeated hardliner Saeed Jalili to become Iran's new president and immediately urged Iranians to stick with him during the "difficult road ahead," according to reports.
Pezeshkian, a cardiac surgeon, won the runoff election Friday with 16.3 million votes to Jalili's 13.5 million with turnout at about 50%, Reuters reported.
The first round of voting on June 28 saw historically low voter turnout.
The election was called after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May.
Pezeshkian's supporters danced in the street to celebrate his victory, but some skeptics question whether he will be able to follow through on his promises because Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is the sole authority in the Islamic Republic.
"Dear people of Iran, the election is over, and this is just the beginning of our working together. A difficult road is ahead. It can only be smooth with your cooperation, empathy and trust," Pezeshkian said on social media, Reuters reported.
"I extend my hand to you and swear on my honor that I will not abandon you on this path. Do not abandon me," he added.
Pezeshkian, 71, has called for "constructive negotiations" with the West over the 2015 agreement that curbed Iran's nuclear ambitions and has pledged to relax the country's mandatory headscarf law, according to reports.
But he'll be hard pressed to fulfill those promises amid hard-liners in the Iranian government and increased tensions from the continuing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, the Associated Press reported.
Still, his supporters remained hopeful.
"I don't expect anything from him; I am happy that the vote put the brake on hard-liners," bank employee Fatemeh Babaei, who voted for Pezeshkian, told the AP. "I hope Pezeshkian can return administration to a way in which all people can feel there is a tomorrow."
