Liberal candidate who wants to befriend West leads in presidential election in Iran
Illustrative photo (photo: flickr.com)
During the tallying of results in the second round of presidential elections in Iran, reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian's lead over hardliner supporter Saeed Jalili has surged to over 2 million votes, according to AP.
Supporters of Masoud Pezeshkian took to the streets of Tehran and other cities before dawn to celebrate his lead over Jalili.
An election commission spokesperson stated that Pezeshkian garnered 12.7 million votes compared to Jalili's 10.4 million. The spokesperson did not disclose the overall turnout as counting is ongoing.
Iranians voted in a snap presidential election on June 29. With no candidate securing 50% of the vote, a runoff was held on Friday between Saeed Jalili and liberal candidate Masoud Pezeshkian, who pledged to seek friendly relations with the West.
Pezeshkian also stated that his administration would work immediately to try to lift Western sanctions and revitalize the economy.
For more information on Iran's presidential election, what you need to know, and its potential implications, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
