Masoud Pezeshkian Leads in Iran's Presidential Runoff with Nearly 50% Turnout

Jul 5, 2024, 07:32 PM

Iranians participated in a run-off presidential election on Friday amid widespread voter apathy and heightened regional tensions. The election presented a stark choice between anti-Western hard-liner Saeed Jalili and reformist Masoud Pezeshkian. Voting hours were extended multiple times to accommodate latecomers, with the final extension until midnight local time. Despite initial low turnout, the voter participation rate eventually exceeded the first round, reaching nearly 50% with over 29.3 million ballots cast. Preliminary results indicate that Pezeshkian is leading with approximately 16 million votes, compared to Jalili's 13 million. Pezeshkian's victory marks the first time a reformist has won the presidency since 2005. Official results are expected to be announced soon.