Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif delivers a speech during an election campaign rally in support of Massoud Pezeshkianin in Tehran, Iran on June 19, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
Conservatives vs reformists. Is there a better way to awaken the interest of Iranians weary of the political regime? Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seems to be betting on that. The upcoming vote to replace Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19, is scheduled for June 28. The regime intends to mobilize voters to avoid a low participation rate as in 2021, which was marked by the lowest turnout in its history (49 percent), and to regain legitimacy following the massive “Women, Life, Freedom” demonstrations. But this strategy could backfire. Three days ahead of the polls, the Iranian Students’ Polling Agency (ISPA) showed Pezeshkian in the lead among those planning to vote, with 24.4 percent, followed by hardliner and former chief nuclear negotiator Said Jalili, with 23.4 percent of the vote. Next in line is the...
Conservatives vs reformists. Is there a better way to awaken the interest of Iranians weary of the political regime? Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seems to be betting on that. The upcoming vote to replace Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19, is scheduled for June 28. The regime intends to mobilize voters to avoid a low participation rate as in 2021, which was marked by the lowest turnout in its history (49 percent), and to regain legitimacy following the massive “Women, Life, Freedom” demonstrations. But this strategy could backfire. Three days ahead of the polls, the Iranian Students’ Polling Agency (ISPA) showed Pezeshkian in the lead among those planning to vote, with 24.4 percent, followed by hardliner and former chief nuclear negotiator Said Jalili, with 23.4 percent of the vote. Next in line is...