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As former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash, Iran has elected a new president who appears more moderate in his foreign policy. Presenting his foreign policy, Masoud Pezeshkian said he hoped for improved relations with European countries.

On July 6, Pezeshkian won a runoff election against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili. The 69-year-old has called for “constructive relations” with Western countries to “bring Iran out of its isolation” and supports reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

In 2018, Washington unilaterally withdrew from the deal, reimposing sanctions and forcing Iran to gradually reduce its commitment to its terms. The deal was aimed at limiting nuclear activity that Tehran says is for peaceful purposes.

In an article published Friday night in the English-language Tehran Times newspaper, Pezeshkian said that after the US withdrew from the 2015 deal, European countries pledged to try to salvage it and mitigate the impact of US sanctions. “European countries have reneged on all these commitments,” Pezeshkian wrote. “Despite these missteps, I look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue with European countries to put our relations on the right track, based on principles of mutual respect and equality.”

European Union spokeswoman Nabila Massrali had earlier congratulated Pezeshkian on his election, adding that the 27-member bloc was “ready to engage with the new government in line with the EU’s critical engagement policy.”

Pezeshkian is a heart surgeon whose only previous government experience was as health minister some 20 years ago. The death of ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash necessitated elections, which were not scheduled until 2025. Pezeshkian is considered a “reformist” in Iran and was the only candidate from that camp allowed to run in the elections, for which all candidates were approved by Iran’s Guardian Council.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say on all major political issues in the country.