Iranian Presidential Election Heads to Runoff

Iran is set to proceed with a second round of its presidential election as no candidate managed to secure the necessary votes for victory during the initial ballot on Friday, as announced by the Interior Ministry.

The decision to hold the snap election was made following the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in Iran’s East Azerbaijan Province on May 19.

Following the results of the first round, it has been determined that reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and conservative Saeed Jalili will face off in a runoff, stated Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi on Saturday.

After the completion of the vote count, Pezeshkian received 10.4 million votes (42.45%), while Jalili garnered 9.5 million votes (38.61%).

The other two candidates, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Mostafa Pourmohammadi, have been eliminated from the race after receiving 13.78% and 0.84% of the ballots, respectively.

As per Iranian regulations, a candidate must secure at least 50% plus 1 vote to be declared the president.

The voter turnout was recorded at 24.5 million, representing 40% of the 61 million eligible voters. The second round of the election is scheduled to take place on Friday, July 5, according to the interior minister.

Pezeshkian, aged 69, is a former heart surgeon who transitioned into politics, having previously served as the health minister in the 2000s and as the first deputy speaker of parliament from 2016 to 2020. Jalili, aged 58, was the chief negotiator for Tehran during the nuclear discussions with global powers. He currently holds a position in the Expediency Discernment Council, which advises Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.