Nechirvan Barzani congratulates Masoud Bazeshkian: on advancing historic friendships

Shafaq News / Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Region, congratulated the newly-elected Iranian president, hoping to develop "the old friendship ties."

"On behalf of myself and the Kurdistan people, I congratulate Mr. Masoud Pezeshkian on his election as President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and wish him every success," Barzani said on X.

"In the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, we look forward to developing long-standing friendly relations and continuing cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran on the basis of common interests and good neighborliness." He added.

Pezeshkian, a surgeon and former health minister, won the presidency in a runoff election against conservative candidate Saeed Jalili. His victory has been viewed as a potential shift towards more reformist policies within Iran.

The number of participants rose to more than 30 million voters in the second round, with Pezeshkian receiving over 16 million votes (53.67%) compared to Jalili, who received 13 million votes (44.34%).

Historically, Iran has had a nuanced relationship with the Kurdish population, both within its borders and in neighboring Iraq. The Kurdish region of Iraq has maintained a cautious but cooperative relationship with Iran.