Iran picks new president at turbulent time

Presidential election had not been due until 2025, but was brought forward after Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash

By AFP
June 27, 2024
An Alireza Zakani supporter at a rally for the candidate in Tehran — AFP/file
An Alireza Zakani supporter at a rally for the candidate in Tehran — AFP/file 

TEHRAN: 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.

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.

The others are conservative Tehran mayor Alireza Zakani, cleric Mostafa Pourmohammadi, and incumbent vice president Amirhossein Ghazizadeh-Hashemi, the ultraconservative head of the Martyrs´ Foundation.

The six have staged largely low-key campaigns, which included televised debates where they vowed to tackle economic challenges and offered varied views on Iran´s relations with the West.