After a tense campaign in which most candidates sharply criticized the government over its economic problems, internet restrictions and strict enforcement of headscarf laws for women, Iran held elections on Friday to choose a president.
The vote comes at a perilous time for the country, as the incoming president faces a host of challenges, including domestic discontent and division, an ailing economy and a volatile region that has brought Iran to the brink of war twice this year.
As the race became a three-way battle between two conservative candidates and one reform candidate, many analysts predicted that neither of them would reach the necessary 50 percent of the vote, which would require runoff election on July 5 between the reform candidate and the leading conservative candidate.
That outcome could have been avoided if one of the hardliners had stepped aside. But in a bitter public feud, neither General Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, the former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and now speaker of parliament, nor Saeed Jalili, a hardliner on both domestic and foreign policy, have budged. Of the two, Mr Ghalibaf is seen as the more pragmatic.
Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, a cardiologist and former health minister whose candidacy is something of a coup, appears to have the most support of any candidate ahead of the vote. But according to the latest state television poll, his support is still short of the 50 percent he needs to avoid a runoff.
Speaking to reporters after voting in Rey, just southeast of Tehran, Mr. Pezeshkian said, “I came for the good of Iran. I came to address the deprived areas and to hear the voices of those who do not have their rights,” state news agency IRNA said.
Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a cleric who once held a senior intelligence post, is also running. Polls suggest he is likely to get less than 1% of the vote.
Polling stations open at 8 a.m. local time Friday across the country, with closures often lasting well into the night. But Iran’s elections are tightly controlled, with a commission of appointed clerics and jurists who vet all candidates and intimidate opposition voices across the political spectrum. media.
As a result, many Iranians are expected to stay away from the polls, either in protest or because they do not believe meaningful change can be achieved through the ballot box.
Four young women studying psychology at Tehran University who were shopping for makeup at Tajrish Bazaar in northern Iran on Wednesday expressed that discontent. Although they described themselves as unhappy about conditions in Iran, they said they had no intention of voting.
“There is nothing we can do about this situation; we have no hope but ourselves,” said Sohgand, 19, who asked not to be named further for fear of the authorities. “But we want to stay in Iran to improve the lives of our children.”
She wore well-tailored black pants and a fitted jacket, and kept her brown hair uncovered. But she also wrapped a scarf around her shoulders in case the officer told her to wear it. Regarding the rule requiring women to wear headscarves, she said simply, “We hate it.”
Trying to counter those sentiments, top Iranian officials, from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, have cast the vote as an act of defiance against Iran’s enemies and an endorsement of the Islamic Republic’s rule.
Khamenei cast his vote when polls opened on Friday morning in front of a crowd of television cameras and reporters at a ceremonial hall set up for the event at his official residence in central Tehran.
He used the opportunity to urge Iranians to vote for the good of the country, regardless of who they support, and considered it a matter of civic duty that would bring “dignity and prestige” to country in the eyes of the world.
“This is a major political exam in the country and I know some people are still skeptical and undecided about what to do,” he said, “but I can tell them that this exam is very important, it brings many benefits, so why not take part?”
The government predicts voter turnout of around 50%, higher than the most recent presidential and parliamentary elections but much lower than previous presidential elections, when more than 70% of voters participated.
Since Supreme Leader Khamenei makes all important decisions for the Iranian state, especially on foreign and nuclear policy, voters’ choices depend more on the country’s overall political climate than on any one candidate.
The final days of the campaign exposed tensions between the leading conservative candidates, Mr Ghalibaf and Mr Jalili, over who should withdraw to consolidate the conservative vote and they hope to avoid a second round of voting.
There was little evidence of that at a rally on Wednesday at a sports stadium in Mr. Ghalibaf’s hometown, Mashhad, where he waved to a crowd of supporters holding Iranian flags and chanting Iran’s name. he, videos of the event show. “A strong Iran needs a powerful president; a strong Iran needs a tireless president,” said a cleric who introduced him.
But things did not go so well for Mr. Jalili, who spoke at a rally in the same city that night. With earlier talks on merging votes failing, the commander of the Quds Force, Gen. Ismail Ghaani, flew to Mashhad on Wednesday night to force the two men into an emergency meeting, according to Iranian news reports and two officials familiar with the meeting who asked not to be named so they could speak publicly about the event.
General Ghaani said he wanted Mr. Jalili to withdraw amid escalating tensions in the region, with the war in Gaza and the possibility of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel potentially drawing in Iran. On those issues, he said that Mr. Ghalibaf, with his military background and pragmatic views, was best suited to lead the government, Iranians familiar with the meeting said.
In a remarkable public spat, as campaign officials from both sides attacked each other on social media, neither side backed down.
The latest poll by Iranian state television – released on Wednesday, the final day of the campaign – showed Dr Pezeshkian leading with 23.5 per cent, Mr Ghalibaf with 16.9 per cent. and Mr. Jalili with 16.3 percent, with 28.5 percent undecided and the remainder divided among the candidates, including those who dropped out.
On Friday, Hosseiniyeh Ershad, a domed, mosaic-covered religious institute in Tehran, was packed at midday with people lining up to vote.
Among them was Neema Saberi, 30, who was attracted to Mr Pezeshkian because of his reformist approach. “We believe that Mr Pezeshkian will unite people,” she said. “He is a logical person, he is not an extremist and he respects people from all walks of life.”
Mr. Saberi, along with others at the institute, emphasized that they appreciated Mr. Pezeshkian’s commitment to cracking down on corruption and having “better relations with the world,” which is an oft-used euphemism. used to take steps to lift sanctions.
The televised debates, in which the candidates were surprisingly outspoken in criticizing the status quo, showed that the economy, which has been hit by US sanctions as well as corruption and mismanagement, is seen as a top priority for voters and candidates, analysts said.
They argue that the economy cannot be fixed without addressing foreign policy, including the standoff with the United States over its nuclear program and concerns about Iran’s military involvement in the region through a network of military proxy groups.
“Rather than radical change, the election could produce smaller, albeit significant, changes,” said Vali Nasr, a professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. “Voices in leadership that want a different direction could push the Islamic Republic to back away from some of its positions.”
While apathy remains high in most urban areas, voters in provinces with significant Azeri and Kurdish populations are expected to turn out in larger numbers for Dr. Pezeshkian. He is an Azeri Turk and was a member of parliament for the city of Tabriz, a major economic hub in the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan. Dr. Pezeshkian delivered campaign speeches in Turkish and his native Kurdish.
At a rally in Tabriz on Wednesday, the doctor received a folk hero’s welcome, with crowds filling the stadium and singing a Turkish national song, according to videos and news reports. Azeri activists say ethnic and religious minorities are rarely represented in high-level positions in Iran, so the candidacy of one for president has generated interest and enthusiasm in the region.
