Voting under way in Iran’s snap presidential election
Al Jazeera
Four candidates are in the race to succeed Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.
Iranians are voting for a new president following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, choosing from a tightly controlled group of four candidates loyal to the supreme leader at a time of growing public frustration.
Polls opened at 8am (04:30 GMT) on Friday and are scheduled to close at 6pm (14:30 GMT), but the time can be extended until midnight.
The snap election coincides with escalating regional tensions due to the current war between Israel and Iranian ally Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as increased Western pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.
While the election is unlikely to bring a major shift in the Islamic republic’s policies, its outcome could influence the succession to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s 85-year-old supreme leader, in power since 1989.
Khamenei called for a high turnout to offset a legitimacy crisis fuelled by public discontent over economic hardship and curbs on political and social freedom.
