Ultraconservative cleric Raisi wins Iran presidential vote

TEHRAN: Ultraconservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi was declared on Saturday the winner of Iran's presidential election, a widely anticipated result after many political heavyweights were barred from running.

Raisi won 62 percent of the vote with about 90 percent of ballots counted from Friday's election, poll officials said, without releasing turnout figures, after the three other candidates had conceded defeat.

"I congratulate the people on their choice," said outgoing moderate President Hassan Rouhani, who has served the maximum of two consecutive four-year terms and leaves office in August.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan also congratulated Iran's newly-elected president on his "landmark victory" in 13th presidential elections.

In his tweet, the premier said "Congratulations to Excellency brother Ibrahim Raisi on his landmark victory in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s 13th Presidential elections".

"Look forward to working with him for further strengthening of our fraternal ties and for regional peace, progress, and prosperity," the prime minister said.

Raisi, 60, is set to take over at a critical time, as Iran seeks to salvage its tattered nuclear deal with major powers and free itself from punishing US sanctions that have driven a sharp economic downturn.

The head of the Iranian judiciary is seen as close to the 81-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ultimate political power in Iran.

Friday's voting was extended by two hours past the original midnight deadline amid fears of a low turnout of 50 percent or less.

Many voters chose to stay away after the field of some 600 hopefuls including 40 women had been winnowed down to seven candidates, all men, excluding an ex-president and a former parliament speaker.

Three of the vetted candidates dropped out of the race two days before Friday's vote.

Populist former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, one of those barred from running by the Guardian Council of clerics and jurists, said he would not vote, declaring in a video message: "I do not want to have a part in this sin."

Raisi's victory was confirmed Saturday when he received the congratulations of the incumbent and the three other candidates -- ultraconservatives Mohsen Rezai and Amirhossein Qazizadeh Hashemi, and reformist Abdolnasser Hemmati.

Khamenei hailed the election saying that "the great winner ... is the Iranian nation because it has risen up once again in the face of the propaganda of the enemy's mercenary media".