Iranian voters went to the polls Friday to choose their next president, with a conservative hardliner in the lead and low turnout feared due to voter apathy.
Entering the election marking the end of eight years of the centrist-reformist government led by President Hassan Rouhani, judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, the hardline candidate, has been ahead in opinion polls, with the main moderate contender, former Central Bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati, struggling to catch up.
Raisi, who is backed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has promised to fight corruption and poverty.
Hemmati has lagged behind Raisi, hurt by the failure by Rouhani's moderate administration to reach an agreement in indirect talks with the United States over a 2015 nuclear deal in the run-up to the election.
The Rouhani administration, which has advocated constructive cooperation with the international community, reached the 2015 deal with six major powers, under which Iran limited its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief.
The deal initially had a positive impact on the economy. But in 2018, after then U.S. President Donald Trump left the agreement, subsequent sanctions by the United States caused rising prices, a devalued currency and high unemployment in Iran.
Rouhani came under fire and his support declined.
While the election could prove pivotal in setting the country's direction as it struggles with sanctions and a collapsing economy, low turnout is expected amid expectations of Raisi winning the race.
A moderate and a reformist who could have rivaled Raisi were both disqualified in the candidate screening before the campaign. Seven candidates originally ran, but three dropped out, including a reformist contender.
In the most recent opinion poll, 63.7 percent of respondents said they support Raisi, 4.2 percent backed Hemmati while 20.2 say they are undecided.
Supreme Leader Khamenei appeared on state-run TV on Wednesday and called for people to go to the polls.
