Masoud Pezeshkian

The election of the first reformist president in nearly two decades by Iranian voters has fueled expectations of change in both the domestic and foreign policy landscapes, as new President Masoud Pezeshkian set to unveil his proposed cabinet.

Iran's reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian, who advocates improved ties with the West, on Saturday won a runoff presidential election against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili, the interior ministry said.

An electoral banner showing reformist candidate Massoud Pezeshkian, hangs on an overhead foot path traversing a thoroughfare, in Tehran on July 4, 2024,

Iranians voted on Friday in a presidential runoff election where the choice is between a reformist advocating improved ties with the West and an ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator.

Iran's snap presidential election is set head to a second vote on July 5, with a reformist and conservative hardliner facing off to replace Ebrahim Raisi amid unprecedented voter apathy.

Iranian voters signaled their disenchantment with Iran's system of clerical rule in the country's presidential election Friday, going to the polls in record-low numbers to help two establishment candidates limp to a runoff.

The sole reformist in Iran's presidential election, Masoud Pezeshkian, will face the ultraconservative Saeed Jalili in a runoff, authorities said on June 29, following a vote marred by historically low turnout.

Pezeshkian secured 42.4 percent of the vote, while Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, came second with 38.6 percent, according to figures from Iran's elections authority.

Iran's sole reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative Saeed Jalili have qualified for a runoff presidential election after leading in the first round, an official said on Saturday.

Pezeshkian got more than 10,400,000 votes and Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, has more than 9,400,000, said Mohsen Eslami, spokesman of Iran's election authority.

Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative Saeed Jalili are leading in Iran's presidential election, according to early results on Saturday from the Interior Ministry.

According to the latest count, Pezeshkian has won more than 8,300,000 votes and Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, has above 7,100,000

Iranians go to the polls Friday to elect a new president after ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash last month, with a sole reformist among the candidates.

The election in sanctions-hit Iran comes at a time of high regional tensions between the Islamic republic and its arch-foes Israel and the United States as the Gaza war rages on.