TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Iranian Presidential Candidate On Tuesday, the two leaders discussed the impact of economic sanctions imposed on their countries by the United States and other Western countries and presented proposals to revive the nuclear deal with world powers.
It was the second and final live debate on state television between little-known reformer Massoud Pezeshkian and hardline former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Friday's runoff election The election will see voters choose a successor to the late President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last month.
Pezeshkian, a cardiac surgeon, said Western-imposed sanctions have hit Iran's economy hard. He cited a 40 percent inflation rate over the past four years and rising poverty rates. “We live in a society where many people are begging on the streets,” he said, vowing that the regime would “immediately” work to lift sanctions and “fix” the economy.
Just like the day beforePezechkian said he would find a solution to revive the nuclear deal with world powers by consulting with the Iranian parliament and finding an alternative. “No government in history has been able to thrive in a cage,” he said, referring to the impact of sanctions on Iran's deteriorating economy.
former President Hassan RouhaniA relatively moderate Iran reached a nuclear deal with the world in 2015 that limited Iran's uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. President Trump withdrew the US from the landmark agreement He suddenly reinstated tough sanctions against Iran.
Jalili, Pezeshkian's hardline rival, is a vocal opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal and said at Tuesday's debate that the United States must honor its commitments “as much as we have.” He criticized his rival for not having a plan to lift sanctions and said he would resume talks on the nuclear deal.
Known as a “living martyr” after losing a leg in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s and known among Western diplomats for his preachy speeches and tough stance, Jalili also promised to support Iran's stock exchange by insuring shares and providing financial support to local industries.
Both candidates promised to revive the economy, provide energy subsidies to the poor and boost auto imports while supporting the domestic auto industry. They did not elaborate on the funding they would need to achieve their pledges.
Iran will hold a presidential runoff election on Friday for only the second time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution after last week's election in which no candidate emerged victorious.
Under Iranian law, a winner must receive at least 50 percent of the total votes. Only 39.9% of eligible voters cast their ballots.And of those 245 votes, more than one million were later rejected — a classic sign that people feel obliged to go to the polls, but also want to reject all candidates.
