Iran’s presidential election heads to runoff after inconclusive first round
A runoff vote is expected to take place on July 5 between the candidates with the most votes – Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist lawmaker and former health minister ahead of Saeed Jalili, a hardline security adviser and former nuclear negotiator.
The results will be reviewed by the influential Guardian Council before the top two candidates start campaigning again.
Pezeshkian received almost 10.5 million votes while the runner up Jalili received almost 9.5 million votes, according to numbers published by state news agency IRNA.
Twenty-four million people cast their ballots out of 60 million eligible voters, with a turnout of 40%, Eslami said.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow...
The election results in the world, specifically in Iran, have sparked interest beyond its borders, particularly in the Middle East. Masoud Pezeshkian's strong performance in the election, garnering a significant number of votes, is being closely watched in regional Middle Eastern countries.
