The Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei The country’s presidential elections began on Friday, with Iranians deciding whether to continue the country’s hardline, conservative course or adopt a more moderate stance.
Khamenei cast his vote in the capital Tehran and urged the nation to participate in the vote to “prove the correctness and fairness of the Islamic Republic’s system.”
About 61 million voters in Iran are eligible to choose a successor to the hardliner Ebrahim Raisiwho died in a helicopter crash in May.
Polling stations were scheduled to close at 6:00 p.m. local time (14:30 GMT), but election authorities extended voting until midnight in the evening.
The elections come amid a severe economic crisis, tensions with the West and public frustration over the maintenance of state power and government, especially among the younger population.
The candidates seen as having the best chance of winning the election are hardliner Saeed Jalili, a former negotiator in nuclear talks with Western powers; parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf; and former Health Minister and reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian.
During the campaign, Pezeshkian criticized the government’s strict policy on women wearing headscarves, but also expressed loyalty to Khamenei and praised the attack on Israel with drones and missiles in April. Leading voices from the reformist camp have pledged their support to him, and he could have a good chance of winning if he reaches a runoff.
After casting his vote on Friday, Pezeshkian said: “We will strive to maintain friendly relations with all countries – except Israel.”
The cleric Mostafa Pourmohammadi is also still in the running.
Despite the title of president, Raisi was only number two in Iran’s power structure, as Khamenei serves as head of state and has the final say in all strategic matters. He is also Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces.
The Guardian Council, an extremely conservative oversight body, had nominated only six candidates for the election.
Earlier this week, two hardliner conservative candidates withdrew their nominations in an effort to rally support among hardline voters heading to the polls.
However, many Iranians, especially young people, have lost confidence in major political changes at home.
The death of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the fall of 2022 sparked nationwide protests against the Islamic rule system, but the protests were long ago suppressed with harsh punishments for demonstrators.
If none of the candidates obtains an absolute majority, a second vote will take place on July 5. The first results from the first round are expected on Saturday.
