Moderate Pezeshkian expected to win Iran’s presidential race, Iranian source says

The low-profile moderate Masoud Pezeshkian, who has pledged to open Iran to the world and deliver freedoms its people have yearned for, is expected to win the run-off presidential vote, an Iranian source tells Reuters.

“The vote counting has ended and the rival candidates have been informed about the result. Pezeshkian is around three million votes ahead of his hardline rival Saeed Jalili,” says the source, who asked not to be named.

Earlier, the interior ministry said that Pezeshkian was leading the race in early results, adding that the initial reports showed turnout was around 50%, higher than the first round.

The run-off follows a June 28 ballot with historically low turnout, when over 60% of Iranian voters abstained from the snap election for a successor to Ebrahim Raisi, following his death in a helicopter crash.

The vote is a tight race between low-key lawmaker Pezeshkian, the sole moderate in the original field of four candidates, and hardline former nuclear negotiator Jalili, a staunch advocate of deepening ties with Russia and China.

Videos on social media showed supporters of Pezeshkian dancing in streets in several cities and motorists honking car horns to cheer his victory.

???????? Celebrations in support of Pezeshkian continue in Iran. pic.twitter.com/OflUOUm9PF

— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) July 6, 2024

Biden: I’m the guy who put together a Mideast peace plan that may come to fruition

Asked during the ABC interview if he’s “the same man today that you were when you took office three and a half years ago,” Biden says: “In terms of successes yes.”

“I was also the guy who put together a peace plan for the Middle East that may be coming to fruition,” he says, apparently referring to efforts to broker Israeli-Saudi normalization and, possibly, work to reach a ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza war.

“I was also the guy that expanded NATO. I was also the guy that grew the economy. All the individual things that were done were ideas I had or I fulfilled, I moved on.”

???????????? BIDEN TO STEPHANOPOULOS: I'M THE MAN WHO GETS THINGS DONE

"I was also the guy who put together a peace plan for the Middle East that may be coming to fruition.

I was also the guy that expanded NATO.

I was also the guy that grew the economy.

All the individual things… https://t.co/XdkUy1VuJD pic.twitter.com/OkroL1ONhu

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 6, 2024

Bernie Sanders congratulates Jeremy Corbyn on reelection

US Sen. Bernie Sanders congratulates Jeremy Corbyn, who headed the Labour Party as it was inundated with antisemitism scandals, for retaining his seat in British Parliament after running as an independent candidate in this week’s election.

“Corbyn made the mistake of believing that the Labour Party should represent labor – and was expelled. His constituents disagreed,” Sanders tweets. “Now he’s back.”

Congrats to Jeremy Corbyn for winning his seat as an Independent in the UK elections with a strong grassroots campaign.

Corbyn made the mistake of believing that the Labour Party should represent labor – and was expelled. His constituents disagreed.

Now he’s back.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 5, 2024