Iran holds presidential runoff election between reformist Pezeshkian and hardliner Jalili

With votes still being counted in Iran's Saturday presidential election, the only reformist candidate, Massoud Pezeshkian, is unexpectedly gaining strong support, followed by hard-line former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili.

The two men are in Friday's presidential runoff election to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline dictator who died in a helicopter crash in May.

Election spokesman Mohsen Eslami said 24.5 million votes were cast, with Pezeshkian receiving 10.4 million and Jalili receiving 9.4 million, The Associated Press reported. Under Iranian law, the winner must receive at least 50 percent of the total votes. If not, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff election in a week's time.

Pezeshkian is on record as wanting to bring Iran out of the cold arm of international sanctions and improve relations with the West.

So for marketing executive Nima Sarangi, he was a natural choice.

“I decided to vote for a better future for our country,” he told CBS News. “Maybe. [Pezeshkian and his team] We can work with the West to solve the problem.”

This includes attempts to revive the nuclear deal that former President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned in 2018.

Pezeshkian received the most votes despite Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying earlier this week that those who advocate better ties with the West are unfit to lead.

“We have some politicians in our country who think that they have to bow down to this country or that country, that progress is impossible unless they stick to a famous country or a famous country,” he said. “Some people think like that. Or they think that all roads to progress go through America. No, those people can't run a country well.”

Iranians who voted for the reforms also want greater secular freedoms, but the country's conservatives are adamantly opposed.

Sana Khodaverdian voted for a candidate who advocated a strict Islamic state above all else.

“I just want someone who will support my religious beliefs while also respecting industry and economic priorities,” she said.

All Iranians agree that Iran's economy is weak and life is hard, but they cannot agree on a solution.

Conservatives believe opening up to Europe and the United States could undermine the revolution's Islamic values. They cling to the belief in so-called self-sufficiency, a policy largely pursued within Iran with the backing of allies such as China and Russia.

Iran is a divided country, and the supreme leader's values ​​are shared only by conservatives.

Take the contentious issue of women's clothing: Muslim purists wear a black chador jumpsuit and a head covering that hides all hair.

That look is rejected outright by reform-minded women who cover their bare arms and legs with Western clothing and wear loose scarves over their hair.

In 2022, large-scale street riots broke out in protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in police custody after being arrested for wearing inappropriate Islamic clothing.

The demonstrations were violently suppressed by the authorities, but many women continued their protests, refusing to wear the headscarf at all, despite the risk of arrest.

Saturday The results of the first round of voting are reflected Iran's tragic division. Whoever wins the presidential election next week will face an uphill battle to craft policies that are acceptable to both sides.