Hasan Rowhani, was elected the new President of Iran on Saturday after once of the most popular voter turnouts in Iran's election history. The election which took place Friday brought out 70 percent of Iran's 50 million eligible voters. The five candidates which Rowhani beat in the election included Saeed Jalili, Ali Akbar Velayati, Mohammed-Baqer Qalibaf, Mohsen Rezaei and Mohammad Gharazi.

SEE: Iran Votes New President

Iranians took to the streets Saturday to express their joy and hope for the future with Rowhan as their presidental leader. CBS quoted the tens of thousands in the streets of Tehran, Iran as saying, " Long live Rowhani."  Along with their chants they also gathered in the streets to dance and celebrate Rowhani's win.

The White House released a statement from the press secretary on the election decision saying:

We have seen the announcement by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran that Hojjatoleslam Doctor Hassan Rouhani has been declared the winner of Iran’s presidential election.  We respect the vote of the Iranian people and congratulate them for their participation in the political process, and their courage in making their voices heard.  Yesterday’s election took place against the backdrop of a lack of transparency, censorship of the media, Internet, and text messages, and an intimidating security environment that limited freedom of expression and assembly.  However, despite these government obstacles and limitations, the Iranian people were determined to act to shape their future.

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 United States remains ready to engage the Iranian government directly in order to reach a diplomatic solution that will fully address the international community’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear program.

WATCH: For more information on Iran's new President Hassan Rowhani watch the video below.

 

 

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