After Ebrahim Raisi's election as President: What happens next with the nuclear deal in Iran?

Enlarge image

Election poster with Ebrahim Raisi: "The international community must be very concerned"

Photo: WANA NEWS AGENCY / REUTERS

With Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner has been elected president in Iran.

The biggest concern of the international community: what happens next with the nuclear deal?

The European Union is urging further talks: "The EU is ready to work with the new government of Iran," said a spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell in Brussels on Saturday evening.

Until then, it is important to continue the intensive diplomatic efforts.

Negotiations on the nuclear deal will continue on Sunday in Vienna.

The aim is to get both the US and Iran to comply with the 2015 agreement again.

The USA criticized the presidential election process.

A foreign ministry spokesman said the people of Iran were "denied a free and fair electoral process."

However, the US would continue negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program alongside its allies and partners.

Israel warned against expanding the Iranian nuclear program and sharply criticized Raisi.

"Iran's new president, known as the butcher of Tehran, is an extremist who is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranians," the new Israeli foreign minister, Jair Lapid, wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

"He is committed to the regime's nuclear aspirations and its campaign of global terror." The international community must be "very worried."

Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin congratulated Raisi on the victory.

Relations between Russia and Iran are traditionally friendly, according to a message from the Kremlin.

"I expect that your work in this high office will contribute to the further development of constructive mutual cooperation in various areas as well as partnership in international affairs."

The election also met with approval in Turkey: According to the AP news agency, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wrote in a letter to Raisi that he was “convinced that cooperation between our two countries will intensify during your presidency and I am ready to work with you «.

Iranian opposition in exile denies Raisi's election victory

The Iranian opposition in exile has denied Raisi's victory in the presidential election.

The Iranian authorities had given the turnout far too high, said the exile groups that had called for a boycott of the election.

According to official information, Raisi emerged from the election as the winner with 62 percent of the vote.

The turnout was given as 48.8 percent.

The Iranian People's Mujahideen, on the other hand, estimate the turnout at only ten percent.

However, they cited only 1,200 witness interviews in 400 Iranian cities and 3,500 video clips from election offices as evidence of this.

The swearing-in of the new president is planned for August.

nck / ime / Reuters / dpa / AFP