Tehran

Thousands of demonstrators angry over the war in Gaza marched on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked lawmakers for steady support as his forces fight Hamas.

Iran's president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian said he looks forward to improved relations with European nations, even though he accused them of reneging on commitments to mitigate the impact of U.S. sanctions.

Pezeshkian on July 6 won a runoff election against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili.

An electoral banner showing reformist candidate Massoud Pezeshkian, hangs on an overhead foot path traversing a thoroughfare, in Tehran on July 4, 2024,

Iranians voted on Friday in a presidential runoff election where the choice is between a reformist advocating improved ties with the West and an ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator.

Speech by the Minister of Development, Takis Theodoricakos, at the 28th annual Economist Government Roundtable:

The sole reformist in Iran's presidential election, Masoud Pezeshkian, will face the ultraconservative Saeed Jalili in a runoff, authorities said on June 29, following a vote marred by historically low turnout.

Pezeshkian secured 42.4 percent of the vote, while Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, came second with 38.6 percent, according to figures from Iran's elections authority.

Iranians go to the polls Friday to elect a new president after ultraconservative Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash last month, with a sole reformist among the candidates.

The election in sanctions-hit Iran comes at a time of high regional tensions between the Islamic republic and its arch-foes Israel and the United States as the Gaza war rages on.

Iranians will head to the polls the day after tomorrow, Friday, to elect a new president from a field of six candidates, including a relatively unknown reformist aiming to challenge conservative dominance.

Iranians visit the tomb of Persian mystic poet Hafez, in Shiraz, where he lived and died in the 14th century and composed his well known love poems or "Ghazal", in Shiraz on May 12, 2024.

Fortune-tellers, known as falgir, who interpret Hafez, can be found across Iran, but especially at his tomb, set amid rose gardens in Shiraz, 800 kilometers south of Tehran.

Iran on Sunday announced the six candidates, mostly conservatives, approved for the June 28 election to replace president Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash.

The candidates announced by the interior ministry were selected from 80 registered hopefuls by the Guardian Council, which oversees elections in the Islamic republic.

Britain, France and Germany will seek to censure Iran over its lack of cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog at its board meeting from Monday despite U.S. opposition, diplomats told AFP.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tehran is the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to 60 percent, while it keeps accumulating large uranium stockpiles.