US: The Islamic Republic Elections Will Not Bring 'Fundamental Change' to the Regime's Direction

The US State Department, referring to the upcoming second round of government elections to determine a successor to Ebrahim Raisi, stated that whatever the final result, "unfortunately," the Biden administration does not expect any fundamental change in the direction Iran is heading or that "the Iranian regime will respect the rights of its citizens more." A spokesperson for the US State Department said on Tuesday, July 2, to a reporter from the Persian section of Voice of America that the Biden administration is aware that the Iranian presidential elections have gone to a second round. According to this spokesperson, "Elections in Iran are not free and fair." Last week, the US also reiterated its position regarding the Islamic Republic's government elections, emphasizing its continued support for the Iranian people. Abram Paley, Deputy Special Envoy for Iran at the US State Department, wrote on Wednesday, July 6, on X: "As the Iranian regime prepares for its presidential elections, unfortunately, the United States does not expect free and fair elections to be held or any change in Iran's trajectory." According to this American diplomat, "Of course, the candidates have been handpicked by the Guardian Council, but we also know that the people of Iran do not even have access to the most basic freedoms that are essential features of any democracy." He further added in his post on X: "We support the people of Iran in the face of this regime's long history of harassing and intimidating journalists, suppressing electoral coverage, and denying the freedom of peaceful assembly." The Deputy Special Envoy for Iran emphasized that the United States will continue to defend human rights in Iran, shine a light on the Islamic Republic's actions in suppressing the people, and continue its support for a "free and democratic future." The first round of the Islamic Republic elections to determine a successor to Ebrahim Raisi was held on Friday, with official claims stating that about 77% of eligible voters in Tehran and 60% nationwide did not participate, marking the lowest voter turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic's presidential elections. According to government news agencies, the Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Republic claimed that after "counting" more than 24 million of the claimed "votes" in the government elections on Friday to determine a replacement for Ebrahim Raisi from among the regime's candidates for the title of "presidency," Massoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili advanced to the second round. The figures and statistics from the Islamic Republic's government sources have always been seriously questioned and disputed by independent observers and sources. The latest "claimed statistics" from the Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Republic show that after "counting 24,735,185 votes," Massoud Pezeshkian received 10,415,191 votes, and Saeed Jalili received 9,473,298 votes, in a process where even according to government statistics, more than 60% of eligible voters refrained from participating. Many prominent political figures, protesters, families of victims, political and civil activists, and political parties and organizations with various orientations had previously announced that they would not participate in the "government appointments" and "electoral circus." Political prisoners in Evin prison also did not participate in this voting. According to government announcements, the second round of the elections is scheduled to be held on Friday, July 15, to determine a replacement for Raisi from among the two candidates favored by the regime for the presidency. Ebrahim Raisi was the thirteenth president of the Islamic Republic, who was killed in the third year of his presidency following a helicopter crash in May of this year.