Power Struggle in Iran: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Urges Population to Vote
Following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Iran is electing a successor. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei opened the election on Friday by casting his vote in the center of the capital, Tehran. The presidential election takes place amidst a severe economic crisis, tensions with the West, and widespread frustration with the state and government, especially among the younger population. Initial results are expected on Saturday.
Around 61 million voters in the Islamic Republic were called to elect a new head of government. Polling stations were open from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM local time (6:30 AM to 4:30 PM CEST). The Ministry of Interior extended the voting hours until 10:00 PM local time (8:30 PM CEST). The election follows the death of Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May. If none of the candidates receives more than 50% of the votes, a runoff will be held on July 5 between the top two candidates.
The powerful Islamic oversight body, the Guardian Council, approved only six candidates for the election. However, two candidates withdrew. The so-called fundamentalists, loyal and ultra-conservative supporters of the system, are the most represented. Among them is a power struggle between the current Speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the hardliner Saeed Jalili. The moderate politician Masoud Pezeshkian is considered the main challenger.