(VOVWORLD) – Ebrahim Raisi, the hardline head of Iran’s judiciary, has won the country’s presidential election after preliminary results showed that he secured 62 % of the votes, much more than his nearest rival.

Outgoing President Hassan Rouhani congratulated Raisi while Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei welcomed the results of the presidential election, calling it a victory for Iran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcome Raisi’s victory and expressed hope for “further development of constructive bilateral cooperation” between Tehran and Moscow.

The US State Department said on Saturday that Washington will continue to discuss with its allies and partners on the restoration of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It noted that indirect talks in Vienna between the US and Iran, brokered by European diplomats, have made meaningful progress.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Raisi on his victory, and said he believes that cooperation between the two neighbors would be enhanced during Raisi’s term.

Iran’s economy shrunk 6.8% in 2018-2019 and 6% in 2020 due to US sanctions.

The election is expected to bring new vitality and help to revive the country’s economy.

Source: VOV5