Iranian President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian waves during a campaign event in Tehran, Iran, July 3, 2024. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Masoud Pezeshkian — widely seen in the West as a “reformist” candidate — has responded to a congratulatory call from Hezbollah’s leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah following his victory in Iran’s runoff presidential election.

In a letter to Nasrallah, Pezeshkian vowed to support Hezbollah’s campaign against Israel as part of official Iranian policy.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always supported the resistance of the people in the region against the illegitimate Zionist regime,” Pezeshkian wrote. “Supporting the resistance is rooted in the fundamental policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the ideals of the late Imam Khomeini, and the guidance of the Supreme Leader, and will continue with strength.”

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Islamist terrorist organization based in Lebanon, has been committed to seeking Israel’s destruction for decades.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters through a screen during a rally commemorating the annual Hezbollah Martyrs’ Day, in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Photo: Reuters/Aziz Taher

Pezeshkian also said he remained optimistic in the eventual demise of Israel.

“I am confident that the resistance movements in the region will not allow this regime [Israel] to continue its warmongering and criminal policies against the oppressed people of Palestine and other nations in the region,” he said.

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, also called to congratulate Pezeshkian, after he won Iran’s presidency in a runoff election with 54 percent of votes against hardliner Saeed Jalili.

During the election, Pezeshkian vowed to maintain Iran’s current foreign policy strategy, including seeking the destruction of Israel. He has also committed to preserving the “axis of resistance against” the Jewish state.

After voting on Friday, Pezeshkian declared that he seeks “friendly relations with all countries except for Israel.”

Although Pezeshkian was portrayed in Western media as a “reformist,” he has been a long-time member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In 2019, the US listed and sanctioned the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. Pezeshkian is notable in Iranian politics for supporting the IRGC by wearing an IRGC uniform to parliament.

Pezeshkian has also been an outspoken critic of the US. Following the Iranian shoot-down of a US drone, Pezeshkian triumphantly declared it “a strong punch to the mouths of the leaders of criminal America.”

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continue to flare along the Israel-Lebanon border. Last week, Hezbollah fired over 160 rockets and sent 15 UAV drones into Israel in response to an Israeli strike killing senior Hezbollah commander Muhammad Nasser.