reformist, ultra-conservative candidates face off

Iran is headed for a runoff election on Friday, July 5, that will see an ultra-right wing hardliner compete against a reformist during a time of intense economic, social, and geopolitical challenges for the Middle Eastern country.

The runoff will allow all 61 million eligible Iranian voters to cast their ballots after no presidential candidate managed to win a majority when the country initially voted on June 28 in a snap election, following the death of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May.

Amid record low voter turnout of around 40% on Friday — the lowest of any presidential election in the Islamic Republic’s 45-year existence — two dramatically different candidates came out on top.

Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian came out ahead with 10.4 million of 24.5 million votes cast, while hardline former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili came out just behind with 9.4 million votes.

The two other candidates in Friday’s race — Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Shiite cleric Mostafa Pourmohammadi — received 3.3 million votes and roughly 206,000 votes, respectively. Two additional candidates of the six approved to run by Iran’s ultra-conservative Guardian Council had dropped out of the race on Thursday. All the candidates are seen as deeply conservative and anti-Western except for Pezeshkian. 

A former nuclear negotiator, Jalili currently serves as a representative for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the Supreme National Security Council, known to be the most hardline wing of the regime and its highest security body. Jalili, 58, is one of the furthest-right wing candidates approved to run in the snap election and is a longtime Iranian government insider, but has also had several failed attempts at running for office.

Pezeshkian meanwhile, is by far the most moderate of Iran’s presidential candidates. He formerly served as minister of health under Iran’s last reformist president Mohammad Khatami, from 1997 to 2005, and Khatami among other reformist politicians have endorsed him.  

The 69-year-old Pezeshkian has also been a parliament member since 2008. He is a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the vice speaker of parliament. He wants to loosen social restrictions like Iran’s strict hijab law and improve relations with the West, including potentially re-starting nuclear talks with world powers.