President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi congratulated Monday the newly-elected president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, on his victory in the presidential elections, according to a statement by the Egyptian Presidential spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy.

“Pezeshkian’s victory reflects the confidence of the Iranian people in his ability to serve his country and steer it toward prosperity and development,” according to Fahmy.

President El-Sisi wished the new Iranian President success in his duties and expressed his appreciation for the good relations between the Egyptian and Iranian peoples, added the statement.

Pezeshkian received more than 16 million votes against former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili with more than 13 million out of over 30 million votes cast, electoral authorities said.

“By gaining a majority of the votes cast on Friday, Pezeshkian has become Iran’s next president,” the interior ministry said.

The runoff on Friday followed a June 28 ballot in a snap election to find a successor to President Ebrahim Raeisi who lost his life with his foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and others in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran.

Pezeshkian originally ran against a field of five candidates last week, winning the largest number of votes but falling short of a majority which sent him and Jalili to a second round.

MP/