Iran’s watchdog council approves election results

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s electoral watchdog, the Guardian Council, has approved the presidential elections results.

Council spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei told state TV Tuesday that certain complaints by individual candidates had been forwarded to the judiciary, but the overall election results are declared valid.

Under the law, the council had 10 days to review the election result.

The approval clears the path for the start of the next term of re-elected Presidency Hassan Rouhani, who won the May 19 election with 57 per cent of more than 41 million votes.

Rouhani will next receive the endorsement of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and will be inaugurated in August.