According to Times of Israel, commenting on reformer Masoud Pezeshkian's victory in Iran's presidential election on Saturday, Foreign Minister Israel Katz called for increased pressure from the international community, viewing it as a setback for the nation's Islamist government.
After Pezeshkian received over 16 million votes, or roughly 54 percent, and his rival, ultraconservative Saeed Jalili, received over 13 million votes, or roughly 44 percent, of the approximately 30 million votes cast in the second round of the presidential elections, Katz wrote on X, "The people of Iran have sent a clear message of demand for change and opposition to the Ayatollah regime through the elections."
“Now the world must designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization and demand the cancellation of the nuclear program and the cessation of support for terrorist organizations. This is the only chance to realize the change,” Katz added.
The polls were conducted in the midst of increased tensions in the area brought on by the Gaza War, a disagreement with the West on Iran's nuclear programme, and domestic unrest regarding the country's economy, which has been severely impacted by sanctions.
Originally scheduled for 2025, the ultraconservative Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash in May prompted the early calling of a presidential election.
In an effort to prevent further isolation, Iran under Raisi had worked to strengthen its ties with Saudi Arabia and China while also repairing its relationships with other Arab neighbours.
Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, congratulated Pezeshkian.
China and Russia both stated that they hoped to strengthen their relations even more.In addition to congratulating Pezeshkian on his election, EU spokesperson Nabila Massrali stated that the 27-member union was "ready to engage with the new government in line with EU policy of critical engagement."
Pezeshkian thanked his supporters in a speech at the Imam Khomeini tomb in southern Tehran, stating that their votes had "given hope to a society plunged into an atmosphere of dissatisfaction."
With former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif by his side, Pezeshkian declared,
"I did not give false promises in this election."
"I didn't say anything that I couldn't perform the following day."
Pezeshkian stated that the vote marked the beginning of a "partnership" with the Iranian people in a previous post on X.
Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old cardiac surgeon, has only served in government as the health minister once, around 20 years ago.
He has demanded "constructive relations" in order to "get Iran out of its isolation" with Western nations, "except for Israel."
He is in favour of renewing the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the international community, which the US unilaterally pulled out of in 2018.
The goal of the agreement was to reduce nuclear activities, which Tehran insists is done for peaceful reasons.