Iranian presidential candidates Mohsen Rezaee, Abdolnasser Hemmati and Seyed Amir Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi congratulated their rival Seyed Ebrahim Raeisi on victory in the Friday election before an official announcement of the results.

In separate messages implying concession of defeat on Saturday morning, Rezaee, Hemmati and Qazizadeh Hashemi congratulated the incumbent Judiciary Chief on winning the presidential election.

Rezaee said in his message that Raeisi’s “decisive victory” in the presidential election heralds the formation of a strong and popular administration that would settle the country’s problems.