Iranian president-elect Hassan Rouhani vowed to pursue moderate policies during his first press conference on Monday, after beating hardliners close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“This was more than an election, it was a call by the majority of the people for moderation and respect, and against extremism . Iran has started a new chapter of moderation,” Rouhani told reporters in Tehran.
“I will not forget the promises I made before the elections but what I can say now is that the era of sadness has ended,” he added, referring to the eight-year presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.