Pundit says Pezeshkian should follow Khamenei in foreign policy
Saeed Laylaz, a supporter of president-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian, said it would not be in his interest to act without the lead of the Supreme Leader on foreign policy.
Saeed Laylaz, a supporter of president-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian, said it would not be in his interest to act without the lead of the Supreme Leader on foreign policy.
In an interview with KhabarOnline, he stressed the critical role of Khamenei in shaping Iran's foreign policy, saying, "I don't see it at all in the interest of Pezeshkian to make even the smallest move in the field of foreign policy without Khamenei's permission and approval."
The comments follow fears amid the presidential campaign that he may veer away from previous president’s approach.
Laylaz stressed the complexity of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear discussions which now face the new president.
Iran’s ongoing nuclear program has seen the country slammed with global sanctions thrusting the Iranian population into a dire economic crisis.
He noted, "The era of election slogans is over. We must take into account Iran's national and geopolitical interests.”
He said the JCPOA issue is “more complex than what was raised in the debates” calling for discussions with the country’s security, military, economic, and political experts, “in 100% interaction with the Supreme Leader."
Iran’s Supreme Leader holds ultimate control over the country’s economic, political, social and military workings.
IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News agency reported that the 96-meter (315-foot) vessel which was being repaired at the dock, lost its balance due to water infiltration into the ballast tanks.
The warship tilted and became partially submerged, but according to state media it is now being refloated and repaired.
"As Sahand was being repaired at the wharf, it lost its balance due to water ingress. Fortunately... the vessel is being returned to balance quickly," the official news agency IRNA reported, citing a navy statement.
In an interview with Fars News Agency, Salman Zarbi, the head of Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Complex (ISOICO), said immediately after the incident that there was still a possibility of repairing and making the vessel operational.
Reports indicate that the Navy frigate Sahand was being readied for an anti-piracy patrol mission in the Indian Ocean, with parts of it now underwater.
The frigate recently led a flotilla of Iranian vessels deployed to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden amid attacks by Iran-backed Houthis on commercial ships in the region.
Sahand is a Moudge-class frigate in the Southern Fleet of the Navy, named in memory of the sunk frigate bearing the same name of the Sahand volcano. According to state media, the Sahand joined Iran’s Navy fleet in 2018 and is equipped with cruise missiles and stealth technologies designed to evade enemy radars.
Back in 2021, extensive diplomatic campaign by the US prevented the Sahand from docking in the Western Hemisphere after it was thought to be conducting a potential arms transfer and headed to Venezuela. It was headed toward Venezuela but finally changed course in June and went towards the west coast of Africa, US officials said at the time.
According to the final vote count announced by Iran's Interior Ministry, 49.8 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots. Out of the 30,530,157 ballots cast on Friday, Masoud Pezeshkian secured 16,384,403 votes (53.6%), while Saeed Jalili received 13,538,179 votes (44.3%). Additionally, 607,575 votes were deemed invalid, representing 2% of the total.
However, observers have voiced their skepticism about the figures, one of the primary concerns being the significant reduction in invalid votes, despite an increase in voter turnout.
In the first round, the number of invalid votes was reported to be about 1.06 million. However, in the runoff, this figure nearly halved to approximately 607,000, a difference of around 448,000 votes.
Iran International TV Journalist and political commentator Ali Hossein Ghazizadeh highlighted on X the improbability of over 6 million votes being cast in the final four hours of voting. He noted, "This number is not only unprecedented but also practically impossible."
He explained that rural polling stations and those in small towns typically close before 10pm, and even in large cities, late-hour crowds are only seen at major polling stations. Peripheral areas experience virtually no crowds, making it practically impossible to collect such a high number of votes in the final hours.
Iran International Journalist Shahed Alavi also pointed out "strange examples" of possible electoral number manipulation, citing specific time intervals with unusually high vote counts:
"Vote statistics are released hourly, and every 15 minutes in the afternoon from the Ministry of Interior. A detailed review of the numbers, the disproportionate increases, and reports of empty polling stations suggest extensive number manipulation by the Election Headquarters to satisfy Ali Khamenei," wrote Alavi on X.
For the first time, unlike in any previous presidential elections, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remained conspicuously silent after last week's low turnout for the snap elections until Wednesday.
When he finally spoke, he did not refer to the election as "an epic," a term he typically uses. Instead, he acknowledged that the turnout was "less than expected" and expressed hope that the runoff would show better results.
Indeed, while the turnout is higher, it is not excessively so. The figures for Masoud Pezeshkian are not overly high, which could signal to the reformist faction to stay in line, as Khamenei’s hardliner insiders desire, Alavi pointed out.
They view the reformists as a faction they oppose. Additionally, the narrow margin between hardliner Jalili and reformist Pezeshkian ensures that both factions remain aware of each other's presence. In previous elections, the difference between the winner and the runner-up was typically much larger.
Iranians opposed to the Islamic Republic widely expressed skepticism on social media about the higher runoff results. Many also sent voice messages to Iran International expressing doubts that one out of two people voted on Friday. In the absence of independent courts, civic organizations and media in Iran, it is almost impossible to vouch for any government numbers, whether election results or economic data.
