(Paris) Reformist candidate Massoud Pezeshkian is leading the second round of the presidential election in Iran, ahead of ultraconservative Said Jalili, according to the first results published Saturday by the Interior Ministry.
According to the results, MP Pezeshkian received more than 11 million votes against about nine million for his opponent, a former nuclear negotiator, election authority spokesman Mohsen Eslami was quoted as saying by the official Irna news agency.
The final results are expected later on Saturday.
PHOTO VAHID SALEMI, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Election officials count ballots for the presidential election at a polling station in Tehran.
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.
After a first round marked by a high level of abstention, some 61 million Iranians were called to the polls on Friday in the country’s 58,638 polling stations.
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.
PHOTO RAHEB HOMAVANDI, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Candidate Said Jalili
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 after the death of ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19, is taking place against a backdrop of popular discontent, particularly over the state of the economy, which has been hit by international sanctions.