Following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a plane crash on May 19, the results of the first round of early presidential elections in Iran have been announced. Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformer and former Minister of Health, received the highest number of votes with approximately 42% of the voters supporting him. In second place was conservative Said Jalili, with around 39% of the votes cast in his favor.
Although none of the candidates received more than 50% of the votes, there were significant implications for the upcoming second round. The voter turnout for the elections was only 40%, marking the lowest in the history of Iran. However, Pezeshkian’s strong performance in the initial round may inspire more voters to support him in July’s runoff election.
It is important to note that while Raisi was formally elected as president, Ali Khamenei, as Supreme Leader, remains Iran’s governing body. As such, the outcome of these elections will have significant implications for Iran’s future direction. Depending on whether a reformer or conservative candidate is elected to replace Raisi, it could potentially lead to changes in Iran’s domestic and foreign policies.