"We are starting the elections" for the country's 14th presidential election, Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi said in a televised address.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cast his first vote at a polling station and gave a short speech calling for the unity of the Iranian people during the election, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to officials, voting will take place at around 59,000 polling stations in more than 95 states and more than 61 million people are eligible to vote in the election.
Iran's 14th presidential election, initially scheduled for 2025, was rescheduled following Raisi's unexpected death.
Initially, there were six candidates – Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, the current Vice President; Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani; Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Parliamentary Speaker; Saeed Jalili, former top negotiator for nuclear talks; Mostafa Pourmohammadi, former Interior Minister and Justice Minister; and Massoud Pezeshkian, former health minister.
Later, Hashemi and Zakani, two principled candidates, withdrew from the race in favor of Qalibaf and Jalili, who were also in the principled camp.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cast his first vote at a polling station and gave a short speech calling for the unity of the Iranian people during the election, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to officials, voting will take place at around 59,000 polling stations in more than 95 states and more than 61 million people are eligible to vote in the election.
Iran's 14th presidential election, initially scheduled for 2025, was rescheduled following Raisi's unexpected death.
Initially, there were six candidates – Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, the current Vice President; Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani; Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Parliamentary Speaker; Saeed Jalili, former top negotiator for nuclear talks; Mostafa Pourmohammadi, former Interior Minister and Justice Minister; and Massoud Pezeshkian, former health minister.
Later, Hashemi and Zakani, two principled candidates, withdrew from the race in favor of Qalibaf and Jalili, who were also in the principled camp.
