Iranians vote Friday in the second round of the presidential election, which pits reformist MP Massoud Pezeshkian against a former nuclear negotiator, the ultraconservative Said Jalili.
The election is being closely watched abroad as Iran, a Middle Eastern heavyweight, is at the heart of several geopolitical crises, from the war in Gaza to the nuclear issue, in which it opposes Western countries, notably the United States, its sworn enemy.
Some 61 million Iranians have been called to the polls in the country’s 58,638 polling stations since 8:00 a.m. (2000 GMT). Voting operations have been extended until 8:00 p.m. (1630 GMT). Results are expected on Saturday.
Having come out on top in the first round with 42.4% of the vote, Mr Pezeshkian advocates for an Iran more open to the West. Mr Jalili, who obtained 38.6% of the vote, is known for his inflexible positions towards Western powers.
Mr Pezeshkian, 69, has received support from former presidents, reformist Mohammad Khatami and moderate Hassan Rohani.
His rival, 58, has the support of Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, the conservative speaker of parliament, who came third with 13.8% of the vote in the first round.
The election, hastily organized to replace ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19, is taking place in a context of popular discontent, particularly over the state of the economy, which has been hit by international sanctions.
“Different Visions”
Turnout in the first round a week ago reached 39.92% of the 61 million voters, its lowest level in 45 years of the Islamic Republic.
Opposition figures in Iran, as well as in the diaspora, have called for a boycott of the vote, saying the conservative and reformist camps represent two sides of the same coin.
But for former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, voters do have a “choice” to make, given the “totally different visions” of the candidates, he told AFP after voting in the east of the capital.
At a polling station in Tehran, Hossein, 40, said he chose Mr Pezeshkian because he “can change things”.
Farzad, 52, who like Hossein does not wish to give his last name, made the same choice, to “prevent the access to power of the ultraconservative radicals.”
“We’ve been shouting death to America for 45 years, that’s enough. […]”We cannot build a wall around the country,” he insists.
Melika Moghtadaie, wearing a black chador, opted for Mr. Jalili. The 19-year-old student is counting on him to “help improve the country’s economy.”
In a café in the centre of the capital, Elmira, a 26-year-old student, abstained and hopes to be imitated by many to “send a message” to the world.
“Disgruntled” people
In two televised debates, the candidates addressed the country’s economic woes, its international relations, low voter turnout and government restrictions on the internet.
“People are unhappy with us,” officials said, Pezeshkian. “When 60 percent of the population doesn’t participate [à une élection]that means there is a problem” with the government, he argued.
The reformist candidate, who claims loyalty to the Islamic Republic, called for “constructive relations” with Washington and European countries in order to “bring Iran out of its isolation.”
A nuclear negotiator between 2007 and 2013, Mr. Jalili had firmly opposed the agreement finally concluded in 2015 between Iran and world powers, including the United States, which imposed restrictions on Iranian nuclear activity in exchange for an easing of sanctions.
Nuclear negotiations are currently at an impasse following the unilateral withdrawal of the United States in 2018, which reimposed severe economic sanctions on Tehran.
His opponent is calling for a resolution to the lingering issue of compulsory veiling for women, one of the causes of the vast protest movement that shook the country in late 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini, arrested for not respecting the strict dress code.
Whatever the outcome of the vote, the election is expected to have limited repercussions, as the president has only limited powers: he is responsible for implementing, at the head of the government, the broad political guidelines set by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is the head of state.