Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has won the Iranian presidential election following a runoff vote against hardline candidate Saeed Jalili, Entekhab reported on July 6. 

Pezeshkian's win has been met with surprise across the board and well wishes from abroad, with Russian President Vladimir Putin offering congratulations via official channels. 

"Russian-Iranian relations are of a friendly, neighbourly nature. Moscow and Tehran effectively coordinate efforts in addressing current issues on the international agenda," the head of state wrote on the Kremlin website.

Putin expressed hope that Pezeshkian's activities as president would "contribute to further enhancing constructive bilateral cooperation in all areas for the benefit of the peoples of Russia and Iran," following several agreements with his hardline predecessor Ebrahim Raisi who died on May 19 in a helicopter crash close to the border with Azerbaijan.

Late on July 5, Raja News, a channel closely aligned with conservative candidate Saeed Jalili, reported that Pezeshkian secured approximately more than 16mn votes, whilst Jalili trails with roughly 13mn before even the official figures were released by the national broadcaster.

Entekhab news website, citing analysis of voting patterns and field reports, reported that voter turnout for the second round sat above 50% 

"Based on an examination of each candidate's strongholds, we project Masoud Pezeshkian to emerge victorious with nearly 16mn votes," a Raja News correspondent stated.

These figures, however, remain unofficial estimates. The Iranian Interior Ministry oversees the election process and has yet to release any formal results.

The runoff was necessitated after no candidate secured an outright majority in the first round of voting. This second round has pitted Pezeshkian, a reformist former health minister, against Jalili, a conservative former nuclear negotiator.

Pezeshkian, who is a surgeon and MP, has previously criticised security services' actions against women over the much-criticised hijab law, even arguing against punitive measures previously on state television following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.