Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkiyan and ultra-conservative Said Jalilli are leading in the presidential elections in Iran, according to partial results announced this morning by the Ministry of Interior.
Friday’s presidential election was hastily called following the death of conservative President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19.
If the trend of the preliminary results is confirmed and none of the candidates receives more than half of the votes, those two candidates will qualify for the second round, which will be held on July 5.
Four candidates, three conservatives and one reformer, participated in the elections in which 61 million voters had the right to vote.
The Council of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution in early June approved six candidates to participate in the elections, but two dropped out of the race a day before the vote.
Based on the votes counted until 9:00 this morning on 14.07 million ballots, MP Masud Pezeshkiyan won 5.96 million, and Said Jalili, the former negotiator for nuclear issues, 5.56 million votes.
They are significantly ahead of conservative Parliament Speaker Mohamad Baker Ghalibaf, who is third with 1.89 million votes, according to preliminary results.
Far behind is the fourth candidate Mostafa Purmohamadi, the only priest in the race, who won 112,000 votes.
The authorities did not provide data on the turnout.
The elections in Iran, an important Asian country at the center of geopolitical crises, from the Gaza war to the nuclear issue, in which it opposes Western countries, are being closely watched.
