TEHRAN – Iran’s Guardian Council has officially validated the results of the nationwide presidential election held on June 28th. The announcement, made on Sunday, paves the way for a runoff election scheduled for next Friday, July 5th. 

Hadi Tahan Nazif, the council's spokesperson, stated that the body has verified the accuracy and legitimacy of the election, formally notifying the Interior Ministry of this confirmation. He added that despite a designated period for complaints and objections, none were received from either candidates or voters.

The runoff will feature reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and conservative Saeed Jalili, the two candidates who garnered the most votes in the first round of the race. Both hopefuls are allowed to campaign until 24 hours before the runoff begins. 

A total of 24,535,185 votes were cast, representing an almost 40% turnout from the over 61 million eligible voters. Pezeshkian received 10,415,991 votes (42.45%), while Jalili secured 9,473,298 votes (38.61%).

The election was held a year ahead of schedule following the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi in May. President Raisi, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and six others, perished in a helicopter crash in northwestern mountainous forests on May 19th.

Jalili kicks off runoff campaign with visit to Tehran Grand Bazaar

Jalili kicked off his campaign for the second round of presidential elections on Saturday with a visit to the bustling Grand Bazaar of Tehran, Iran's economic heart. The move signaled his commitment to addressing the challenges faced by Iranian businesses and merchants. 

During his visit, Jalili outlined his plans to tackle the issues facing the business community. "Since 2018, we've held extensive discussions with various trade unions and business owners to understand their struggles," he stated. "We've identified 17 key problems and have formulated comprehensive plans to address them."

Jalili stressed that his visit was designed to engage directly with the business community and ensure their concerns are at the forefront of his campaign platform. He emphasized that supporting the private sector and meeting its needs would be a top priority for his administration.

After engaging with business owners, he headed to a Zoorkhaneh, a traditional Iranian sports club, where he spoke to male athletes about the importance of prioritizing women's sports. “Given that women play a central role in families, it is vital to provide the necessary support and attention to women's sports for their empowerment and effective contribution to society,” he said. 

Pezeshkian needs to re-engage disenchanted reformist voters  

While Saeed Jalili has hit the ground running, Masoud Pezeshkian, the candidate with the highest vote count on Friday, has yet to fully activate his campaign for the runoff. His only public engagement with supporters on Sunday was a social media post on X, promising a firm stance against forced patrols, internet filtering, and external pressures.

Analysts have raised concerns about Pezeshkian's ability to win the runoff election, highlighting the need to mobilize the traditional reformist voters who largely stayed away from the polls on Friday. 

"Jalili has a better chance of retaining his current supporters and potentially attracting some of Qalibaf's supporters," explained Parviz Amini, a university professor and political analyst, in an interview with Farhikhtegan newspaper. "Pezeshkian, however, faces a more difficult task. A significant number of reformist voters, who typically participate in elections, chose not to vote on Friday. He needs to win back their support and enthusiasm."

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the candidate ranking 3rd in the first round of the presidential elections, has told the over 3 million citizens who voted for him to rally behind Jalili in the upcoming runoff.