Iran: Does Masoud Pezeshkian’s election mark a turning point?

He says he will block the “Hijab and Chastity Bill,” which would introduce new penalties for women who do not wear the hijab. He has criticized the regime for its brutal crackdown on the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests in 2022. He wants to ease internet restrictions that have stifled commercial and social life. He has talked about easing tensions with the West and restoring the 2015 nuclear deal with the US.

The victory of reformist Masoud Pezeshkian in Iran’s presidential election — declared after the death of hardliner President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash — has ended “three years of conservative dominance over all branches of government” in Iran, writes Sina Toossi in Washington’s Foreign Policy. And if Pezeshkian follows through on even a few of his promises, his victory could be transformative.

A female ‘kingmaker’