Dubai. The US on Saturday criticised Iran’s presidential election, saying it was neither free nor fair. The US also said the election would not change the Islamic Republic’s stance on human rights. A US State Department spokesman said in response to a question that it would continue to use diplomacy with Tehran “when it advances US interests.”
He said, “Elections in Iran were not free or fair. As a result, a significant portion of Iranians decided not to participate in the elections.” The spokesperson added, “We have no expectation that these elections will lead to a fundamental change in the direction of Iran or to greater respect for the human rights of its citizens. As the candidates themselves have stated, Iranian policy is determined by the Supreme Leader.”
The spokesperson said, “The elections will not have any significant impact on our approach towards Iran. Our concerns about Iran’s behavior remain the same.” Reformist leader Masoud Pezeshkian won the presidential election in Iran on Saturday by defeating hardliner Saeed Jalili in a direct contest between the two top candidates in last week’s voting.
After President Ibrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash last month, voting was held on Friday in a direct contest between Pezeshkian and Jalili. On the other hand, Iran’s newly-elected President Masoud Pezeshkian has promised to work for all Iranians in his victory speech.
Reformist-minded Pezeshkian said this while addressing journalists on Saturday at the mausoleum of late Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Heart surgeon Pezeshkian said, “In this election, I did not make false promises to you. I did not lie. We made promises but could not fulfill them. This has been a big problem with us.”
Tags: Iran news, Iran Presidential Election, Joe Biden, United States
FIRST PUBLISHED : July 6, 2024, 23:26 IST