White House: US respects Iran election results


Associated Press

Posted on June 15, 2013 at 2:03 PM

Updated Sunday, Jun 16 at 12:34 AM



The election "took place against the backdrop of a lack of transparency, censorship of the media, Internet, and text messages, and an intimidating security environment that limited freedom of expression and assembly," Carney said in a statement. He added that despite those obstacles, "the Iranian people were determined to act to shape their future."

Secretary of State John Kerry also lauded the Iranian people and added: "President-elect Rowhani pledged repeatedly during his campaign to restore and expand freedoms for all Iranians. In the months ahead, he has the opportunity to keep his promises to the Iranian people."

The stunning surge in Friday's election behind Rowhani, a former nuclear negotiator, was perceived by supporters as a rebuke to hard-line policies that have left Iran diplomatically and economically isolated. The U.S. and other nations have used penalties to undercut Tehran's disputed nuclear program.

Iran's ruling clerics barred more prominent reform candidates from the ballot, leaving a group of mostly staunch loyalists to the Islamic establishment. Iran's opposition settled on Rowhani as the least objectionable, making the 64-year-old cleric the de facto candidate for reform-minded Iranians.

"It is our hope that the Iranian government will heed the will of the Iranian people and make responsible choices that create a better future for all Iranians," Carney said. Signaling that the election has not changed the administration's stance, Carney said the U.S. is still willing to engage Tehran directly to find a diplomatic solution to concerns about Iran's nuclear program.


But the strict limitations the regime placed on who could compete in the election dampened U.S. hopes that a postelection Iran would pursue a different course. Kerry said last month he wasn't optimistic that the election would produce any change in Iran's nuclear ambitions, a topic he revisited in his statement after the election.

"We, along with our international partners, remain ready to engage directly with the Iranian government," Kerry said. "We hope they will honor their international obligations to the rest of the world in order to reach a diplomatic solution that will fully address the international community's concerns about Iran's nuclear program."