Rouhani wins Iran's Presidential election

Moderate cleric Hassan Rouhani won Iran's presidential election on Saturday, the interior ministry said, scoring a surprising landslide victory over conservative hardliners without the need of a second round run-off.Interior minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar announced on state television that Rouhani secured just over 50 percent of the ballot based on a 72 percent turnout of 50 million eligible voters.

Mr Hassan Rouhani ... got the absolute majority of votes and was elected as president," Najjar said.

Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, a hard-line conservative, lagged behind with about 16 percent of the votes. Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, he too a hard-line conservative, earned 11 percent. The voter turnout was 72.7 percent.

President-elect Hassan Rohani, sixty four years old, is known as a moderate conservative. He has been stressing the need to improve ties with Western nations, and is backed by both moderate and reformists groups.

Rohani served as the country's chief nuclear negotiator under former President Mohammed Khatami, and adopted a flexible stance toward Western nations.

 Iran is suffering from international sanctions over the country's nuclear program, he received support from people who wanted change. Rohani issued a statement following his victory, pledging he will do all he can to revive the economy. He urged the world to acknowledge the rights of Iran. He said nations who tout open dialogue should speak to the Iranian people with respect.

Moot  focus on whether Iran and Western nations, deadlocked over nuclear and Syrian issues, will be able to build a new relationship.