Iran’s Second Round of Early Presidential Elections: The Battle for Power and Influence Continues

On Friday, July 5, Iran will hold its second round of early presidential elections. The decision to call for these elections was made after the sudden death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a plane crash on May 19. In the first round that took place on June 28, two candidates emerged as winners. Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformer, received about 42% of the votes while conservative Said Jalili, the spiritual leader’s representative in the Security Council of the Islamic Republic, received about 39% of the votes.

However, there were doubts raised by the Iranian opposition regarding the accuracy of the official turnout data. Some analysts believe that it could have been three times lower than what was reported. With Jalili having a better chance in the second round as voters who supported other conservative politicians in the first round have no other candidate to back, voter turnout will play a crucial role in determining the outcome. Pezeshkian’s strong showing in the first round may have encouraged voters who were inclined to vote for him.

While it is formally considered that Iran’s president is its head of state, in reality, it is governed by its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The results of these elections will be significant as they will determine Iran’s future leadership direction and potentially affect its relationship with other countries.