In the Iranian presidential election, none of the four candidates achieved the necessary 50 percent of the vote, leading to a competition between the top two candidates once more. Friday's election had the smallest participation in Iran's past, with under 40 percent of voters turning out. A re-vote is scheduled for July 5.
Voters, affected by Iran's sluggish economy, political and social unrest, continued protests, and tensions in West Asia, elected reformist leader Masoud Pezeshkian as the top candidate on Friday, while hardline conservative leader Saeed Jalili came in second. Nevertheless, securing victory in an Iranian presidential election necessitates receiving a minimum of 50 percent of the votes. Pezeshkis did not meet the expectations/requirements. Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon, is not famous beyond Iran. Jalili is recognized globally as the top negotiator for Iran's nuclear program.
Sanam Vakil, who leads the West Asia and North Africa program at Chatham House, stated that with this vote, the Iranian people have conveyed their rejection of the leaders and the system. She commented that this demonstrates the apathy and annoyance of public sentiment. Approximately 2.45 crore out of Iran's close to 6.10 crore voters participated in the voting process. Out of the total, Pezeshkian received 1.04 crore votes while Jalili received 0.94 crore votes. 33 lakh votes were received by Mohammad Bagher Kalibaf, who finished third. The presidential election was declared following Ibrahim Riasi's death in a helicopter accident the previous month.
