Reformist Pezeshkian, Conservative Saeed Jalili are neck-and-neck Early results of Iranian presidential election

The first results of Iran's snap presidential election have been released by the Tasnim agency, revealing a closely contested race between reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian and conservative contender Saeed Jalili.

After counting 12 million votes, Pezeshkian has garnered the support of approximately 5 million voters, while Jalili trails closely with about 4.9 million votes, Caliber.Az reports citing Iranian media.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, another prominent candidate, has secured over 1.6 million votes, according to the preliminary results.

Political analysts had earlier predicted a competitive election with the likelihood of a second round due to the tight race between Pezeshkian and Jalili. Sociologists had also anticipated Pezeshkian's potential victory in the first round, reflecting the varied expectations among voters and experts alike.

Meanwhile, unknown gunmen have launched an attack on a vehicle transporting ballot boxes out of a polling station in the Jakigur Rural District of Rask County, located in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan Province.

The incident occurred after midnight local time, shortly after the conclusion of Iran's snap presidential elections.

Reports indicate that the gunmen targeted the vehicle, resulting in the tragic deaths of two security personnel and injuries to several others. An investigation has been initiated to gather more information about the attack and its perpetrators.

This incident follows the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others in a helicopter crash on May 19 in northwestern Iran, which prompted the snap presidential elections. Over 61 million eligible voters participated in the elections at 58,000 polling stations across the country.