From tragedy to triumph-Iran's new reformist president.

Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkinan has won Iran’s presidential election and the country’s election official said Saturday, defeating his hardline rival in a pivotal vote amid heightened domestic and international tensions.

30.5 million votes counted in last Friday’s runoff, Pezeshkian won 53.6% edging out ultraconservative Saeed Jalli, who had 44.3% of the ballots, state-run Press TV reported.

This is after the tragedy from the helicopter crash, America’s Newsletter confirmed the day the crash happened, that the President before this election, Imam Khomeini died in that crash, along with the foreign minister.

Pezseshkian was in a runoff election after securing the highest number of ballots in the first round, ahead of Jalili. The first round saw the lowest voter turnout for a presidential election (Iranian history) since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979.

In a victory speech in Tehran on Saturday, Pezeshkian thanked the Iranian people and vowed to serve as a “voice of the voiceless.”

“I am the servant of the people of Iran. We will serve you, dear people of our country”. Pezeshkian said at the burial site of Imam Khomeini, the leader of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The 69-year-old trained heart surgeon and lawmaker acknowledged the challenges facing the country as he called for unity in what he described as a new chapter for Iran.

This is a developing story and will be a opinion piece in the future.