Candidates Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili to Compete in July 5 Run-Off After No Clear Winner Emerges in Initial Vote
Tehran, Iran — On Sunday, Iran’s Constitutional Council confirmed the results of the first round of the country’s 14th presidential election, paving the way for candidates to commence their campaigns for the impending run-off. The announcement was made by Hadi Tahan Nazif, spokesperson for the Council, during a televised interview with the state-run IRIB TV.
Nazif stated that the Council had thoroughly investigated and reviewed the election process and results before validating them. He noted that none of the four candidates contesting in the first round had lodged any objections within the legal timeframe for filing complaints. This confirmation allows the candidates to continue their electoral campaigns until Thursday morning, 24 hours before the run-off scheduled for July 5.
The snap presidential race, initially set for 2025, was rescheduled following the unexpected death of former President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19. In the first round of voting, which took place on Friday and was extended three times, no candidate secured more than the required 50 percent of the total votes to declare a winner.
The election is now set for a run-off between the top two contenders: reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s former health minister, who received over 42 percent of the votes, and principlist Saeed Jalili, the former chief negotiator in the nuclear talks between Tehran and world powers, who garnered more than 38 percent of the total votes.
In his statement, Nazif emphasized that the Guardian Council had confirmed the election’s accuracy and legitimacy and had officially communicated this to the Interior Ministry. He reiterated that the opportunity for candidates or voters to file complaints had passed without any submissions, further solidifying the election’s integrity.
As the country braces for the run-off, the political landscape is poised for an intense final showdown between Pezeshkian and Jalili. Both candidates have already begun mobilizing their supporters and strategizing for the decisive election on July 5, which will ultimately determine Iran’s next president.
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