Iran election: winner postpones appearance - criticism from Israel

Ebrahim Raeissi won the presidential election in Iran.

Arch enemy Israel sees in him a radical who is responsible for thousands of deaths.

His first appearance will be postponed at short notice.

Tehran / Tel Aviv (dpa) - The election of the arch-conservative cleric Ebrahim Raeissi as the new Iranian president has met with sharp criticism in Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described the election on Sunday as a "signal to the great powers, perhaps the last signal before a return to the nuclear deal". They would have to understand who they are dealing with "and what kind of regime they want to strengthen". Bennett said at the first regular meeting of his cabinet in Jerusalem: "Of all the people who Khamenei (Iran's supreme leader) could have voted (...)" the executioner of Tehran "was elected." This was because of his role in the execution of opponents of the regime responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranians. "What is clear to all of us: a regime of executioners must not have weapons of mass destruction."

Israel's Foreign Minister Jair Lapid wrote on Twitter on Saturday evening: "His (Raeissi's) election should spark a new determination to immediately halt Iran's nuclear program and put an end to (Tehran's) destructive regional aspirations."

Little Iranian participation

Raeissi succeeds Hassan Ruhani, who was no longer allowed to run for election after two terms in office.

The top candidate of the hardliners and the preferred president of the political elite received more than 60 percent of the vote in Friday's election, according to the Interior Ministry.

The low turnout among the more than 59 million voters of 48.9 percent is interpreted by observers as an election boycott and a warning signal to the political leadership.

Israel and Iran are archenemies.

Observers expect a more radical course in Middle East policy under Raeissi, and in relation to Israel an even more hostile one than before.

He is also likely to continue supporting anti-Israel militias and Syria's ruler Bashar al-Assad even more consistently.

The 60-year-old Raeissi originally wanted to speak at a press conference on Sunday and explain the country's political course for the next four years for the first time after his election victory.

However, the event has been postponed, according to the press department responsible for foreign media in the Ministry of Culture, it will be held on Monday.

What's next with the nuclear deal?

After the election, the European Union urged further talks on the JCPOA nuclear deal.

"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 that intensive diplomatic efforts are continued in order to get the JCPOA back on track." Talks on the Iran 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.

Without negotiations with the USA, which Raeissi has always criticized in recent years, the sanctions will probably not be lifted - and accordingly an end to the economic crisis would not be feasible.

Criticism of the election procedure

Russia's head of state Vladimir Putin congratulated Raeissi, who is subject to US sanctions, on Saturday's election victory.

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

Raeissi had failed four years ago because of Ruhani, this time his way to the presidential office was much easier. The so-called Guardian Council, which, as an electoral body, sorted out serious competitors before the ballot box, made sure of that.

"The result of the presidential election was already certain before the ballot boxes were even opened," said the foreign policy coordinator of the Greens / EFA group in the European Parliament, Reinhard Bütikofer.

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