US state department questions fairness of Iranian elections after Raisi’s victory

Washington [US], June 20 (ANI/Sputnik): The US State Department claims that the presidential election in Iran was not a fair one, but the US will continue to advance its interests in Iran regardless of who is in power, a department spokesperson told Sputnik.

The Iranian Interior Ministry announced on Saturday that Ebrahim Raisi won the election with nearly 62 percent. The turnout was 48.8 percent – the lowest in Iran’s history.

“We’ve seen that the Iranian Interior Minister announced Ebrahim Raisi as the winner of the Iranian elections that occurred on Friday, but also make note that Iranians were denied their right to choose their own leaders in a free and fair electoral process,” a US State Department spokesperson told Sputnik on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a number of world leaders, including Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Syrian President Bashar Assad, have already congratulated Raisi on his victory.

The State Department spokesperson told Sputnik that the US will continue discussions with its allies and partners on a return to compliance with the Iran nuclear deal.

“Our Iran policy is designed to advance U.S. interests, regardless of who is in power. We would like to build on the meaningful progress achieved during the latest round of talks in Vienna,” the spokesperson said.

The European Union External Action Service said on Saturday that the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was going to resume the negotiations in Vienna on June 20. Representatives of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and Iran will attend the talks.

The participants will continue to discuss a possible return of the United States to the nuclear deal and ways to ensure its full and effective implementation. (ANI/Sputnik)