Iran’s Rouhani sweeps to 2nd term, beating hardline rival

Bloomberg

Hassan Rouhani won a second term as president of Iran, in a landslide victory seen as an endorsement of his efforts to steer the nation out of isolation through its landmark nuclear deal with world powers.
Rouhani secured 57 percent of ballots cast in a first round of voting, Interior Minister Rahmani Fazli said at a news conference in Tehran. Chief rival Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline conservative cleric perceived as the favored candidate of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, took 38.5 percent. More than 41 million of 56 million eligible voters cast ballots.
In an address to the nation hours after his victory was confirmed, Rouhani told Iranians they had “said no to those who wanted to take Iran backward or cease its current course.”