His comments, which were meant to commend voter turnout, instead sparked widespread anger, as they ignored the reality that 88 percent of Iranians abstained from participating in what many saw as a sham election.
Facing intense backlash, Pezeshkian attempted to deflect criticism on his X account, stating, “The enemies of the Iranian people did everything they could to prevent people from coming to the ballot boxes. The account of the honorable people who are dissatisfied is separate from the enemies and ill-wishers.” This attempt to differentiate between discontented citizens and so-called enemies did little to quell public outrage.
In a moment of unintentional candor during the second election debate on July 2, Pezeshkian admitted to his rival, Saeed Jalili, “With all the disputes between him and me, with all this shouting, 40 percent of the people came, 60 percent did not come and do not accept either of us. If this way of thinking comes, it becomes 20 percent. Can this 20 percent rule over the rest of the majority?” This statement inadvertently highlighted the regime’s fabricated participation figures, with the actual turnout being much lower.
Pezeshkian’s rationale for participating in the election revealed his fears for the regime’s stability. He acknowledged that only 8 percent of eligible voters participated in the second round of parliamentary elections, recognizing that such low turnout posed a significant threat to the regime’s legitimacy. “If the public participation in the presidential election had also been like this, unfavorable conditions would have prevailed, and the whole system would have been questioned,” he admitted. This underscores the regime’s desperation to project an image of stability and public support.
However, his claim that his involvement increased public participation and saved the regime from collapse is unfounded. The real participation rate remained dismally low, with only 12 percent in the first round and 9 percent in the second, even as the regime’s inflated figures barely crossed 40 percent.
The actual figures suggest that Pezeshkian’s presidency has garnered the fewest votes in the regime’s history, indicating a profound lack of legitimacy. These developments further demonstrate that the regime is beyond saving, facing inevitable overthrow by the Iranian people and their organized resistance movement.
