Saeed Jalili or Massoud Pezeshkian: Who will be next Iran president?

A neck and neck contest is witnessed between Saeed Jalili and Massoud Pezeshkian as votes count in under way in the highly-anticipated Iran presidential election.

Out of 14,070,462 ballots counted so far, pro-reform candidate Masoud Pezeshkian is leading with 5,955,781 votes, according to official figures released by the Interior Ministry.

He is followed by Saeed Jalili with 5,560,321 votes, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf with 1,891,385 votes, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi with 111,967 votes.

Jalili, 58, a top negotiator in international negotiations on the country’s nuclear program, is seen as a beloved figure in the Iranian regime’s ultra-conservative group.

About 549,008 votes have been declared invalid so far.

The total number of polling stations is 58,640, with 32,244 stations counted so far, and 375 counties have been tallied, the ministry said.

Current predictions are that the election will go to a second round, which is set for next Friday.

If no candidate wins at least 50 percent plus one vote of all ballots cast, including blank votes, a run-off round between the top two candidates is held on the first Friday after the election result is declared.

It is estimated the 61.5 million voters are eligible to use their right in Iran. The turnout is expected to be low for this election.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is the ultimate authority in the country, has called for “maximum” turnout.

The country is voting is to replace late president Ebrahim Raisi, who died on 19 May in a helicopter crash, with seven other people also killed.