Iranians Head to Polls for Presidential Run-Off Between Hardliner and Reformist

Iran's presidential election has entered its second round, with no candidate securing a majority in the first round held on June 28. Reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian secured 42.5% of the vote, while ultraconservative contender Saeed Jalili received 38.7%. The two candidates will face off in a runoff election on Friday to determine who will succeed the late President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May. The election has been marked by low voter turnout, with 60% of eligible voters either not showing up at the polls or casting blank votes. The outcome is difficult to predict, as both candidates have rallied significant support. Pezeshkian is critical of Iran's notorious morality police and has promised reforms, while Jalili favors maintaining the status quo.