Iran to pick new president at turbulent time

NEWS WIRES

26 June 2024 at 1:21 am·1-min read

Iranians vote on Friday to elect a new president from six candidates, including a lone reformist who hopes he can challenge the dominance of conservatives in the Islamic republic.

A presidential election had not been due until 2025, but was brought forward after ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash last month.

The snap poll comes at a challenging time as Iran grapples with the economic impact of international sanctions amid heightened regional tensions over the Gaza war between Israel and Tehran's ally Hamas.

In April Iran fired more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel after an air strike in Damascus blamed on Israel killed seven Revolutionary Guards.

Israel carried out a reported retaliatory strike near Isfahan.

Polling is also being held just five months before a presidential election in the United States, Iran's sworn enemy and Israel's staunch ally.

Leading contenders for Iran's second highest-ranking office are conservative parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, and the sole reformist, Massoud Pezeshkian.

"Nobody has presented a concrete plan of how they are going to deal with a lot of these issues," he said.

'No way I'm voting'

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'No way I'm voting'

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