Doctor Pezeshkian leads with 43.5% in Iran’s presidential race
The Iranian presidential election is heating up as the votes are being counted. According to Mohsin Islami, the spokesman for the Election Center of the Iranian Ministry of Internal Affairs, a total of 19 million 69 thousand 713 votes have been counted since the ballot boxes opened at midnight.
Leading the race is Pezeshkiyan, who has garnered 8 million 302 thousand 577 votes, accounting for 43.5 percent of the total votes counted so far. Following closely behind is Celili, with 7 million 189 thousand 756 votes, representing 37.7 percent of the votes.
In order to be elected, a candidate must secure 50% +1 of the total votes. Muhammed Bakır Kalibaf currently holds the third position with 2 million 676 thousand 512 votes, making up 14 percent of the votes. Mustafa Purmuhammedi is in fourth place with 0.8 percent of the votes.
If no candidate reaches the required threshold in the first round, the top two candidates will advance to a second round of voting scheduled for July 5. The winner of the second round will become the 9th President of the country.
The election results are eagerly awaited as the Iranian people await the outcome of this closely contested race.
