The victory of conservative cleric Ibrahim Raisi in the Iranian presidential elections provoked mixed reactions at the regional and international levels. While several countries and bodies congratulated Iran and its new president, and hoped that this would lead to more friendly relations, the United States and human rights organizations expressed their dissatisfaction with the election of Raisi, which they consider to be involved in Killings and enforced disappearances affected Iranian opponents.

Below we review the most prominent regional and international positions regarding a major victory in the Iranian elections:

Russia

The RIA news agency quoted a press official at the Russian Embassy in Tehran as saying that Putin congratulated Raisi and expressed his hope for "further development in constructive bilateral cooperation."

Syria

A statement by the Syrian presidency also congratulated Raisi for winning the elections. The statement said that President Bashar al-Assad is keen to work with the new president to strengthen relations between the two countries.

UAE

While Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, congratulated Raisi for his victory in the elections and wished bilateral relations "permanence of stability, continuity and prosperity", Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed sent a congratulatory message, according to the Emirates News Agency.

Sultanate of Oman

The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, also congratulated the elected Iranian president on his victory.

Diameter

The Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, sent a congratulatory cable to Raisi on his victory in the elections, "wishing him success and the relations between the two countries further development and growth."

Kuwait

The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, also sent a congratulatory cable to my president, "wishing all success and payment and good health and wellness, and to the Islamic Republic all progress and prosperity."

Iraq

Iraqi President Barham Salih congratulated Raisi on his election as Iran's president, and said, "We in Iraq look forward to strengthening the solid relations with neighboring Iran and its people."

Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his belief in strengthening cooperation between the two countries during Raisi's presidency, expressing his full readiness to work with him.

enthusiasm

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) congratulated the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and the leadership and people of the Republic of Iran on the "accomplishment and success of the presidential election process, in which the Iranian people chose Ibrahim Raisi as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

"We ask God Almighty to grant him success in leading the country, serving the Islamic Republic of Iran, realizing the aspirations of its people towards further development, progress and prosperity, continuing and strengthening Iran's honorable positions in solidarity with Palestine and its just cause, and supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people," Hamas said in a statement.

Islamic Jihad

The official in the Islamic Jihad Movement in Gaza, Yousef Al-Hasaineh, said that the Iranian people "prove once again to the world their affiliation and adherence to the method and system of the revolution. We congratulate the Islamic Republic and the Iranian people for this great achievement."

Houthis

Mahdi Al-Mashat, head of the Houthi political office in Yemen, also sent a congratulatory message to Raisi on his victory. Al-Mashat said that "the success of the electoral process in Iran is a victory for the principles of the Islamic revolution, and a consolidation of the option to confront the Zionist-American project," as he put it.

United State

For its part, the United States expressed regret that Iranians were unable to participate in a "free and fair electoral process" in the presidential elections.

A US State Department spokesman said that "the Iranians have been deprived of their right to choose their leaders in a free and fair electoral process."

He added that the United States would, however, continue indirect negotiations with Iran to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement that former President Donald Trump withdrew from.

Human Rights Watch

"Iranian authorities paved the way for Ebrahim Raisi to become president through repression and unfair elections," said Michael Page, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch.

Page added that Raisi, when he was head of the judiciary, oversaw some of the most heinous crimes in Iran's modern history, which deserve investigation and accountability rather than being elected to a high position.

AI

Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnes Callamard said that the fact that Raisi rose to the presidency instead of being investigated for crimes against humanity such as murder, enforced disappearance and torture is a painful reminder that impunity prevails in Iran.

Callamard added that she continues to call for the investigation of Raisi for his role in past and current crimes under international law, including for countries exercising international jurisdiction.

Iranian opposition abroad

Maryam Rajavi, the elected president of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, said that Ibrahim Raisi, the protagonist of the 1988 massacre and the murderer of the People's Mojahedin Mujahideen, is Khamenei's last attempt to preserve his regime, as she put it.

She added that "weak Khamenei, beset by crises and alarmed by looming uprisings, has eliminated all contenders for the inauguration of a major, one of the most notorious criminals against humanity since World War II, as president."

Israel

"After the Supreme Leader (Ali Khamenei) effectively dictated who the Iranian people should choose, less than 50% of Iranian citizens eligible to vote elected its most radical president to date," said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Hayat. "The international community rightly denounced Tehran's butcher. Ibrahim Raisi for his direct role in the extrajudicial execution of more than 30,000 people.

"As an extremist figure committed to achieving rapid progress in Iran's military nuclear program, his election demonstrates Iran's true malign intentions, and should raise great concern among the international community," Hayat said in a statement.

It is noteworthy that the winning candidate is one of the senior officials covered by US sanctions, and he is the head of the country's judiciary, and is believed to have the support of the Revolutionary Guards, and he lost the elections to the outgoing President Hassan Rouhani in 2017.