Masoud Pezeshkian has secured victory in Iran’s presidential election, announced by the country’s electoral authority on Saturday.

He defeated his hardline opponent, Saeed Jalili, with 53.6% of the vote from 30.5 million ballots counted in Friday’s runoff. Jalili garnered 44.3% of the votes, with a voter turnout reported at 49.8%.

Pezeshkian, a reformist candidate and trained heart surgeon, emerged victorious after leading in the initial round of voting.

In his victory speech in Tehran, he expressed gratitude to the Iranian people and pledged to be their advocate, CNN has reported.

“I am the servant of the people of Iran. We will serve you, dear people of our country,” Pezeshkian declared at the burial site of Imam Khomeini, emphasizing unity and addressing the nation’s challenges.

The 69-year-old highlighted economic, financial, military, and social challenges, urging national unity for tackling these issues in what he described as a new era for Iran.

Written by B.C. Begley