Iran’s Guardian Council Approves Election Results

Pezeshkian and his ally, former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, during the victory celebration at the shrine of Iran’s first leader (Reuters)
Pezeshkian and his ally, former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, during the victory celebration at the shrine of Iran’s first leader (Reuters)
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Iran’s Guardian Council Approves Election Results

Pezeshkian and his ally, former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, during the victory celebration at the shrine of Iran’s first leader (Reuters)
Pezeshkian and his ally, former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, during the victory celebration at the shrine of Iran’s first leader (Reuters)

The Iranian Guardian Council has announced the approval of the results of the presidential elections won by reformist Masoud Pezeshkian.

On Sunday, the elected president began his meetings with officials and political figures, in preparation for the transfer of presidential powers and the formation of the new government.

“The validity of the second round of the 14th presidential election has been approved by the Constitutional Council,” spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif told state television.

He noted that no candidate had lodged any complaints or reported any violations to the Council.

The Guardian Council – a non-elected body of which Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei chooses half of its 12 members - supervises the implementation of the elections, decides on the eligibility of candidates, monitors Parliament’s legislation, and resolves disputes between the government and lawmakers.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place after the president-elect receives an official endorsement by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

IRNA news agency quoted Mojtaba Yousefi, a member of the presidential body in parliament, as saying that the president will take oath in the first week of August.

Meanwhile, Khamenei met on Sunday with acting President Mohammed Mokhber and members of the outgoing government, praising the late President, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19.

Khamenei expressed his satisfaction with Raisi’s performance, describing him as a hard worker who sought to solve the problems of the general public, and had deep belief in the country’s capabilities.

Regarding foreign policy, Khamenei said that Raisi acted while “taking into account interaction and dignity at the same time.” He added: “Some prominent leaders in the world mention Raisi as an important figure and not as an ordinary politician.”

Pezeshkian, 69, pledged to adopt a pragmatic foreign policy, ease tensions related to the now-stalled negotiations with the major powers to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement, and improve the prospects for social freedoms and political pluralism.

However, many Iranians doubt his ability to fulfill his electoral promises, as Khamenei has the highest authority in the Islamic Republic.

European Union spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali said that the 27-member bloc is “ready to engage with the new government in line with EU policy of critical engagement.”



Florida Man Shot Israeli Visitors Thinking They Were Palestinians, Police Say

 Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)
Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)
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Florida Man Shot Israeli Visitors Thinking They Were Palestinians, Police Say

 Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)
Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza mark 500 days of their captivity by spreading a massive Israeli flag depicting an hourglass in the Mediterranean Sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Hebrew of the flag reads "Without the abductees, Israel runs out". (AP)

A Florida man was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder after shooting at a vehicle with two men who he thought were Palestinians but turned out to be Israeli visitors, local authorities and media reports said.

The website of Miami-Dade County Corrections says the suspect, 27-year-old Mordechai Brafman, was charged with two counts of attempted murder and booked on Sunday for the shooting on Saturday.

A police official confirmed earlier reports from local media that Brafman said in an interview with police that while he was driving his truck in Miami Beach, he saw two people he thought were Palestinian. He stopped, shot at and killed them.

However, the victims survived. One was shot in the shoulder and the other had a wounded forearm. They turned out to be Israeli visitors and not Palestinians, police said.

A representative or lawyer for Brafman could not be immediately identified by Reuters.

Human rights advocates say there has been a rise in anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian and antisemitic hate in the United States since the start of US ally Israel's war in Gaza following an Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian group Hamas.