Snap presidential elections will start in Iran on Friday where four politicians will fight for the high chair. On the eve of the election, one of the candidates, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, withdrew his candidacy, Iranian media reported.
Polling stations across Iran opened at 8 a.m. local time and will continue to receive voters for ten hours, but if necessary, their work will be extended. About 180,000 police officers are providing security at the polling stations.
About 60,000 polling stations and 90,000 voting centres will operate in Iran. At least 344 polling stations will be open for citizens who are outside the country.
The Iranian presidential election is being contested by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Saeed Jalili, the spiritual leader’s representative in the Security Council, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, former head of the interior and justice ministries, and former health minister Masoud Pezeshkian.
Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani withdrew from the election on the eve of the day voting started, asking the two most popular politicians from the conservative camp – Jalili and Ghalibaf – to join forces against the reformist Pezeshkiyan.
The 14th head of state election became a snap election due to the Bell helicopter crash of the previous Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
On May 19 the helicopter of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi with other officials was completely burnt in the crash, all passengers on board were killed. The accident happened in the north-west of the country in the Verzegan region.
