The election of Hassan Rohani as the new president of Iran will not change anything, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, following the vote in Iran which brought a surprise victory for the candidate considered by many observers as the most moderate. Netanyahu said Rohani had been “among those whose candidacies [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei] allowed was elected the candidate who was seen as less identified with the regime, who still defines the State of Israel as ‘the great Zionist Satan.’ ” It was Khamenei who ultimately determined Iran’s nuclear policy, the Israeli PM said.
"Iran will be judged by its actions,” Netanyahu said. “If it continues to insist on developing its nuclear program, the answer needs to be very clear — stopping the nuclear program by any means.”
Rohani, who is seen as much more moderate than the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, will take office in August after receiving slightly more than 50 percent of the vote. Some 72 percent of the 50 million eligible voters turned out. Ahmadinejad was barred from running for reelection due to term limits. “This victory is a victory of wisdom, a victory of moderation, a victory of growth and awareness, and a victory of commitment over extremism and ill temper,” Rohani said Saturday on state television.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “Iran must abide by the demands of the international community to stop its nuclear program and cease the dissemination of terror throughout the world.”
In a statement on Saturday, the White House congratulated the Iranian people for participating in the political process and “their courage in making their voices heard.” The statement said it respected their vote. “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,” the White House said.
On Sunday, the British newspaper 'The Independent' reported that Iran will send 4,000 Revolutionary Guard troops to Syria to aid President Bashar Assad against rebel forces in his country’s two-year civil war. The decision reportedly was made before the start of the presidential election. Iran also proposed opening up what it called a “Syrian front” against Israel in the Golan Heights, according to the paper.
Meanwhile, Khamenei posted a cartoon on his English-language Facebook page which claims that the Iranian elections were freer than those in the US because the American vote was controlled by ‘Zionists’. The cartoon depicts the Star of David logo of the American Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) above an arrow which points towards three fat money-men, who stand over a line of voters. The caption reads: “US president is being elected only from two parties while Zionist regime is controlling everything behind the scenes.” Another image shows a line of Iranian voters under an arrow pointing to a presidential candidate, designed to signify that in Iran, each voter takes part in a democratic process.