In Iran, the hardliners are out. Moderate cleric Hassan Rohani scored a surprise landslide victory in the country's presidential election.

Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar announced the results on Saturday

SOUNDBITE: Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar saying (Farsi):

"Mr Hassan Rohani having secured 18,613,329 votes votes for himself has gained the absolute majority of the votes and has taken the role of president elect of the 11th presidential election. After him respectively, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf with 6,077,292 votes, Saeed Jalili with 4,168,946 votes.

A former chief nuclear negotiator, Rohani .has pledged to promote a policy of "constructive interaction with the world." His predecessor, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has led Iran for eight years and was legally barred from seeking a third consecutive term.