Offering praise for Iranians and reproaching their government, the Obama administration said Saturday it respected the results of a presidential election conducted under restrictive conditions.

Shortly after moderate cleric Hasan Rowhani was declared the winner, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. congratulated Iranians for their courage in voting. He said Iranians were determined to make their voices heard despite the limitations the ruling government imposed on the political process.

The 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,” Carney said in a statement. He added that despite those obstacles, “the Iranian people were determined to act to shape their future.”

Secretary of State John Kerry also lauded the Iranian people and added: “President-elect Rowhani pledged repeatedly during his campaign to restore and expand freedoms for all Iranians. In the months ahead, he has the opportunity to keep his promises to the Iranian people.”

The stunning surge in Friday’s election behind Rowhani, a former nuclear negotiator, was perceived by supporters as a rebuke to hard-line policies that have left Iran diplomatically and economically isolated. The U.S. and other nations have used penalties to undercut Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.

(AP)