Voters at a polling station in Iran on June 28, 2024. Photo: IRNA/VNA

Former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and former Minister of Health Masoud Pezeshkian, who received the most votes in the first round, will face off in the runoff after none secured more than 50% of the vote in Friday’s election.

On Friday morning, tens of millions of Iranians began casting their ballots to elect one of the four candidates, including Saeed Jalili, 58, former Secretary of the National Security Council and former chief nuclear negotiator of Iran; Masoud Pezeshkian, 69, reformist MP and former Minister of Health; Mostafa Pourmohammadi, 64, former Minister of Justice and former Minister of Interior; and Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, 62, incumbent Speaker of the Parliament of Iran and former Mayor of Tehran.             

Iran is facing economic challenges due to sanctions from the US and the West, as well as diplomatic tensions around Tehran's nuclear program.