In Iran’s presidential election on Friday, early results reveal a tight race between reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian and hardliner Saeed Jalili, suggesting the possibility of a run-off vote next week.
With approximately 19 million ballots counted, Pezeshkian, a former health minister and prominent reformist, leads with about 43.5% of the vote. Jalili, a hardliner and former chief nuclear negotiator with Western powers, trails closely behind with 37.7% of the vote.
The head of the electoral authority announced on state television that parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is in third place with around 14% of the vote. Cleric Mostafa Pourmohammadi, the fourth candidate, has received less than 1% of the vote.
If no candidate secures an absolute majority, a run-off election will be held on July 5 to determine the president. This election is particularly significant as it follows the death of the previous president, Ebrahim Raisi, in a helicopter crash in May. Over 61 million Iranians were eligible to vote to choose Raisi’s successor.
Voting was initially scheduled to end at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, but electoral authorities extended it until midnight to accommodate all voters.
In a troubling development, late Friday evening, assailants attacked a vehicle transporting election workers in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, killing two security personnel. The attack occurred as the ballots were being transported to the city of Rask, and no group immediately claimed responsibility. The province has seen increased activity from the Sunni militant separatist group Jaish al-Adl, which is designated as a terrorist organization by both Iran and the United States.
This election unfolds amid a backdrop of severe economic hardship, escalating tensions with Western and regional powers, and widespread public dissatisfaction with state authority, especially among the younger generation. The death of Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini in autumn 2022 had ignited nationwide protests against the Islamic system of rule, though the demonstrations were met with harsh crackdowns.
In Iran’s political structure, the president serves as the second-highest authority, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holding ultimate power as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
As the results continue to unfold, the potential for a run-off election underscores the deep political divisions and the search for a leader who can address Iran’s multifaceted challenges.
