Iranians to vote in presidential election runoff
Two candidates head to second round, with economic woes among key issues

TEHERAN — After a highly contested first round of presidential elections, Iran is set for a runoff vote on Friday.
In voting on Friday the reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, the former health minister, received 42.4 percent of the votes cast, and the principlist Saeed Jalili, the former chief negotiator in nuclear talks between Teheran and world powers, received 38.6 percent. Iran's constitution requires that a winner gain more than 50 percent of all votes cast. If not, the top two candidates advance to a runoff a week later.
The speaker of parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf received 13.8 percent in Friday's vote, and the only other candidate, the former interior and justice minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi, received less than 1 percent.
Analysts said that regardless of who wins the runoff, the focus of the incoming president will be navigating the economic challenges posed by Western sanctions, handling heightened tensions with Israel and improving ties with neighbors.
Tens of millions of Iranians cast their ballots at about 59,000 polling stations in more than 95 states.
Authorities said more than 61 million people were eligible to vote, but only 40 percent of voters cast a ballot, compared with 48.8 percent in the previous presidential election in 2021.
Before the election the government had been promoting voter participation. The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said participation in the polls was essential "for the viability of the Islamic Republic system".
"The durability, consistency, dignity and reputation of the Islamic Republic in the world depend on the presence of the people," he said after casting the first ballot on Friday.
Eighty political heavyweights registered to take part in the election, and the Guardian Council approved six candidates to be on the ballot.
However, a day before the election, two of them, the mayor of Teheran Alireza Zakani and vice-president Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, dropped out.
The country's 14th presidential election had been due to take place next year, but was brought forward by the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19.
Following the crash, Khamenei reassured Iranians that there would be "no interruption" to the country's affairs.
Candidates had committed to following the late Raisi's trajectory. Nevertheless, notable disagreements persist between Pezeshkian and Jalili on matters including relations with Western countries and tackling domestic economic issues.
Contenders' views
Pezeshkian, 70, served as Iran's health minister from 2001 to 2005;he had previously worked as a heart surgeon.
In election debates Pezeshkian called for economic reforms and increased social freedom and inclusivity. He expressed his intention to achieve national economic growth by strengthening regional and global relations.
Jalili, 59, stood as a qualified candidate in the presidential elections of 2013 and 2021. In 2021 he withdrew his candidacy in support of Raisi.
Jalili holds a more conservative and hard-line stance on many issues. In a debate on Tuesday he criticized the United States for exerting "maximum pressure" on Iran and said he would not seek to improve relations with Western countries.
While most experts agree that the political direction of Iran will not undergo significant changes, Iranians are still hopeful that the incoming president will take steps to tackle the country's economic problems and navigate increasing tensions with Israel and Western powers.
"The main domestic issue will be related to the economy," said Mostafa Khoshcheshm, an international affairs analyst in Teheran.
Mike Gu in Hong Kong contributed to this story.
Xinhua - Agencies
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