Iranians began voting to elect a new president, following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. The ballot features a restricted selection of four candidates, all loyal to the supreme leader, amidst growing public frustration.
Polling stations opened at 8 am (0430 GMT) and will close at 6 pm (1430 GMT), though voting is often extended until midnight.
The election is taking place against a backdrop of escalating regional tensions due to the conflict between Israel and Iranian-backed groups Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, alongside increasing Western pressure on Iran regarding its advancing nuclear program.
While the election is unlikely to significantly alter the Islamic Republic’s policies, its outcome may impact the succession of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s 85-year-old supreme leader, who has been in power since 1989.
Khamenei has called for a high voter turnout to counter a legitimacy crisis driven by public dissatisfaction with economic hardship and restrictions on political and social freedoms.
