Iran's presidential candidate and former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili (best candidate) adressed the rumours and says he will not withdraw from candidacy and will remain till the end.

— 🇮🇷 Iran's last official Presidential poll ahead of Friday's election

Jalili leads with 22.5%, followed by Ghalibaf at 19.5% and Pezeshkian at 19.4%, and the others below 3%.

The election will almost certainly go to a second round, because no candidate will get more than 50% of the votes in the first round.

At this point, with Jalili (Hardline) seemingly in first place, the race is on between Ghalibaf (Populist) and Pezeshkian (Reformist):

If Ghalibaf (Populist) gets second place in the first round, the second round will be between Ghalibaf and Jalili (Hardline). This would be a showdown between Iran's moderately conservative populist flank and the hardline conservative religious flank. While the two have similarities and are both conservatives, Ghalibaf also appeals to middle class non-conservative Iranians, who see him as an experienced 'manager' who built Tehran into a powerhouse during his term as a competent mayor. Jalili's voterbase consists mostly of hardline revolutionary Iranians and the religious masses, as well as university educated youths and people from rural areas.

If Pezeshkian places second in the first round, the second round will be between Pezeshkian (Reformist) and Jalili (Hardline). This would be a showdown between Iran's liberal reformist flank and the hardline conservative religious flank. In this event, Jalili will likely take almost all the votes of those who voted for Ghalibaf in the previous round, because both are part of the wider conservative flank despite their differences. On the other hand, Pezeshkian could draw in large numbers of previous non-voters, mostly anti-IR Iranians, who will feel emboldened if a Reformist reaches the second round.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷 Presidential candidate Dr. Saeed Jalili visited the city of Esfahan, and had a warm welcome from the people

The momentum for Jalili keeps on building. Pezeshkian is also doing well, especially on social media and in Tehran. Ghalibaf seems to have much less momentum on his side.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 I see that some Americans raging about this

Of course the United States will allow Iranians in America to vote in Iran's Presidential elections. Most diaspora Iranians are extremely liberal, and will vote for the Reformist, pro-Western candidates. This is in America's advantage, so why wouldn't they allow it?

Having said that, anyone with an Iranian passport, no matter how liberal and cringe, has the right to vote in the elections. Or just don't vote, even better.

@Middle_East_Spectator

🇮🇳🇮🇱⚡- India has been supplying artillery shells and drones to Israel.

— 🇷🇺 BREAKING: Two Orthodox churches, one synagogue and one police post have been attacked by terrorists in Russia's Dagestan region; at least 29 casualties including dead and wounded

@Middle_East_Spectator

Nigga didn't have to do me like that, but thanks for the correction.

— 🇮🇷 NEW: Iran's Reformist Presidential candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, is now openly spreading anti-regime incitement, claiming that Mahsa Amini was killed by Iranian security forces in 2022, while this was disproven several times by independent and state doctors

He also says that the obligatory Hijab rule should be abolished, that Islam does not command Hijab, and he referred to the 2022 Western-backed anti-government riots as 'peaceful protests'.

Additionally, he calls for increased autonomy of ethnic groups within Iran, like Kurds and Turks, and has expressed Pan-Turkist ideas.

Perhaps worst of all, he advocates for a return to the Nuclear Deal and ties with the West, while knowing that it was the United States that unilaterally canceled the agreement, leaving Iran in an economic crisis.

@Middle_East_Spectator

Pezeshkian knows that if he wants to have any chance at winning the election, he needs to produce progressively more extreme Liberal and anti-regime rhetoric, to somehow convince the masses of non-religious folks to vote for him.

🇷🇺🏴⚡️- Reports of 40 hostages being held inside a church in Makhachkala, Dagestan.