Iran's Guardian Council approves presidential election result

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran's the country's election overseer, the Guardian Council, has approved the presidential election result, affirming a first-round victory by a relative moderate.

According to The Associated Press, a report by state TV on Wednesday, June 19, said Hassan Rouhani won the election by taking nearly 51 percent of votes. Since he won more than half, that eliminated the need for a runoff.

Rouhani takes office in August, succeeding President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Rouhani has vowed to work for better ties with the world and aims to reduce the West's sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program. However, he has offered not offered to rein in the program, as the West demands.

The West suspects Iran might move toward building nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charge.