Moderate Masoud Pezeshkian is Iran's president-elect. What it means for India

Masoud Pezeshkian

Low-profile moderate Masoud Pezeshkian has defeated hardliner Saeed Jalili to become Iran's next president. The 69-year-old heart surgeon, who has pledged to promote a pragmatic foreign policy, carries the hopes of millions of Iranians seeking less restrictions on social freedoms.

His vows to ease tensions over now-stalled negotiations with major powers to revive a 2015 nuclear pact and improve prospects for social liberalisation and political pluralism are likely to win the favour of world powers. News agency Reuters quoted analysts as saying that world leaders are hopeful of Pezeshkian pursuing peaceful ways out of a tense standoff with Iran over its fast-advancing nuclear programme.

Although the Iran president-elect's relatively moderate stance brings hope to many, one cannot overlook the fact that Iran operates under a dual system of clerical and republican rule. This means that the president cannot usher in any major policy shift on Iran's nuclear programme or support for militia groups across the Middle East, as supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calls all the shots on top state matters.

However, the president can influence the tone of Iran's policy and he will be closely involved in selecting the successor to Khamenei, now 85, according to a Reuters report.

India-Iran ties

As for India-Iran relations under Pezeshkian's presidency, it is unlikely that any major overhaul of pre-existing relations will take place. In fact, experts expect deepening ties between the two nations in the near future. India and Iran already enjoy strong diplomatic and economic ties, especially with the strategic Chabahar Port under development, in which India has invested heavily. Moreover, when late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi was elected, S Jaishankar became the first foreign minister to be invited to Tehran for his oath-taking ceremony.

Two months ago, in a significant milestone for the India-Iran relationship and to foster close cooperation to make Chabahar port a regional trade transit and connectivity hub, India and Iran on May 13 signed a long-term contract for operating the Shahid-Beheshti Port Terminal in the presence of Indian and Iranian ministers.

India Ports Global Ltd (IPGL) will invest approximately $120 million in Chabahar port. India also offered an INR credit window equivalent to $250 million for mutually-identified projects aimed at improving Chabahar-related infrastructure.

The United States had issued a warning statement a few hours after India had signed the agreement to run the Chabahar Port in Iran for 10 years, informing "anyone" who may be considering doing business with Tehran of the "potential risk of sanctions". However, EAM Jaishankar responded to the veiled threat saying, "… frankly, if something's between me and Iran, it's between me and Iran."

Further, India—a net importer of crude oil— which receives over 85 percent of its requirements from other nations, could begin importing from Iran again if Pezeshkian’s moderate, “pragmatic” foreign policies convince the United States to lift sanctions. Before the sanctions were imposed by the US, India used to source crude oil from Iran.

Lastly, India will likely closely monitor what stance Pezeshkian's government, albeit under the aegis of the supreme leader, adopts on the Kashmir issue. Under Hassan Rouhani's tenure, the Islamic nation had routinely backed Pakistan on the contentious issue, much to India's ire.