Learn more

Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and hardliner Saeed Jalili are in a close race in Iran’s presidential election, according to early results, suggesting the country could be headed to a run-off vote next week. With about 19 million ballots counted, Pezeshkian, a former health minister, had garnered around 43.5% of the the vote. Jalili, a former negotiator in nuclear talks with Western powers, followed on his heels with 37.7%. Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was in third place with around 14% of the vote, the head of the electoral authority said on state television on Saturday. The fou…

cuu