Iran's Historic Presidential Runoff: Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian vs. Hard-liner Saeed Jalili

Tehran, Tehran province Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Approximately 40% of Iran's eligible voters participated in the first round, marking a record low turnout since the Islamic Republic was established.
Iran is holding a historic second-round presidential election on July 5, 2023.
Masoud Pezeshkian received over 10.4 million votes and Saeed Jalili received over 9.4 million votes in the first round.
Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and hard-liner Saeed Jalili are the two candidates in the runoff.
The outcome of this election could potentially influence who succeeds Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran's Historic Presidential Runoff: Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian vs. Hard-liner Saeed Jalili

Iran is set to witness a historic second-round presidential election on July 5, 2023, as reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and hard-liner Saeed Jalili prepare to face off. The runoff comes after neither candidate secured an outright majority in the first round of voting held on June 28, 2023.

According to reports, approximately 40% of Iran's eligible voters participated in the first round, marking a record low turnout since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979. This trend continued from previous elections where voter apathy and disillusionment with the political process were prevalent.

Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist candidate, received over 10.4 million votes in the first round, while Saeed Jalili, a hard-liner and former nuclear negotiator, garnered over 9.4 million votes. The remaining candidates trailed far behind.

The outcome of this election could potentially influence who succeeds Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 85-year-old supreme leader who holds significant power in Iran's political landscape.

Pezeshkian has advocated for greater engagement with the outside world to improve Iran's economy. In contrast, Jalili is known for his strong anti-Western views and has been a vocal critic of Western influence in Iranian affairs.

The first round of voting saw widespread disenchantment among voters with the current political process in Iran. This sentiment was reflected in the low turnout, which continued a trend seen in other recent elections.

As the two candidates prepare for the runoff, it remains to be seen how they will address these issues and whether they can garner enough support from a disillusioned electorate to secure victory.


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Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • It's unclear if there were any reports of irregularities or fraud during the first round of voting.
  • The exact number of eligible voters is not mentioned in the article.

Sources

78%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Iran heads to presidential runoff pitting reformist against conservative

The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Susannah George Saturday, 29 June 2024 10:12
  • Unique Points
    • The snap presidential poll was called after President Ebrahim Raisi’s sudden death in a helicopter crash last month.
  • Accuracy
    • Iran's supreme leader holds the most power, but the president can influence domestic and some foreign policies.
    • Out of 61 million eligible voters, around 24.5 million participated in the election with a turnout of approximately 40% - the lowest in Iran's history since the Islamic Republic was founded in 1979.
    • Conservative parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf received about 3.38 million votes and Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a conservative cleric, had 206,397 votes.
    • The next president of Iran will be in charge of applying state policy outlined by the supreme leader who wields ultimate authority in the country.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of having a runoff between a reformist and a conservative candidate. It also uses emotional manipulation by stating 'historically low turnout at just 40 percent' to elicit an emotional response from readers. The author also makes editorializing statements such as 'Some Iranians speculated that Pezeshkian’s place in the second round would mobilize pro-reform voters to cast ballots, while others were unsure he could usher in meaningful change.' and 'High voter turnout is critical for the regime’s legitimacy'. The article also uses sensationalism by stating 'Iran’s presidential election is headed for a runoff between an archconservative and a pro-reform candidate' without providing any context or explanation as to why these candidates are being labeled as such.
    • High voter turnout is critical for the regime’s legitimacy.
    • The elections were ‘a manifestation of religious democracy, which showed that in the Islamic Republic, the power rests with the people of Iran.’
    • Some Iranians speculated that Pezeshkian’s place in the second round would mobilize pro-reform voters to cast ballots, while others were unsure he could usher in meaningful change.
  • Fallacies (80%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority when quoting Ehsan Naser and Gregory Brew. They are not the authors' assertions but rather their opinions on the candidates. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that a closed economy creates 'a breeding ground for corruption'. This is an opinion and not a fact.
    • Ehsan Naser, a board member at Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Mines, told the reformist news site Entekhab on Saturday.
    • Gregory Brew, Iran analyst at Eurasia Group, wrote in a briefing note.
    • a closed economy creates 'a breeding ground for corruption'.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Iran will hold a runoff election between a reformist and a hard-liner

National Public Radio (NPR) Saturday, 29 June 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Iranians will have a runoff election on July 5, 2023 between reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and hard-liner Saeed Jalili for the presidency.
    • Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater outreach to the outside world as a means of improving Iran’s economy, while Saeed Jalili is a former nuclear negotiator with strong anti-Western views.
    • The outcome of the election may influence who succeeds 85-year-old supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds the power to make major decisions in Iran.
  • Accuracy
    • Masoud Pezeshkian received 10.4 million votes in the first round of voting, while hard-liner Saeed Jalili received 9.4 million votes.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

96%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Hardliner, moderate to face off in 2nd-ever Iranian runoff, after record low turnout

The Times of Israel Sunday, 30 June 2024 04:47
  • Unique Points
    • Iran's sole reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian and ultraconservative Saeed Jalili are set to face off in a presidential runoff election after leading the first round of voting.
    • Out of 61 million eligible voters, around 24.5 million participated in the election with a turnout of approximately 40% - the lowest in Iran’s history since the Islamic Republic was founded in 1979.
  • Accuracy
    • Approximately 40% turnout in the election.
    • The first round of voting saw record low turnout in Iran's history.
    • Iranians will have a runoff election on July 5, 2023 between reformist Masoud Pezeshkian and hard-liner Saeed Jalili for the presidency.
    • 60 percent of Iranians did not vote in the election as an act of protest against the government.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

94%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian Reaches Runoff in Iran’s Presidential Election

The New York Times Farnaz Fassihi, Saturday, 29 June 2024 09:12
  • Unique Points
    • Masoud Pezeshkian is a reformist candidate in the Iranian presidential election.
    • Saeed Jalili is an ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator and Masoud Pezeshkian’s opponent in the runoff election.
  • Accuracy
    • Iran's presidential election is heading for a runoff between reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian and archconservative Saeed Jalili.
    • The Ministry of Interior announced that none of the contenders secured a majority of the votes in Friday’s election, leading to the runoff on July 5.
    • A historically low turnout of 40% was recorded due to an economic crisis and increasing political repression leading to widespread public apathy.
    • The snap presidential poll was called after President Ebrahim Raisi’s sudden death in a helicopter crash last month.
    • As per Iran’s electoral law, a candidate must win at least 50% of the votes to assume the presidency.
    • High voter turnout is crucial for the regime’s legitimacy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei urged the public to vote and authorities extended voting hours in an attempt to increase participation.
    • Out of 60 million eligible voters, only 24 million cast their ballots on Friday. Pezeshkian secured 10.4 million votes, Jalili received 9.4 million and Ghalibaf got 3 million.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains some instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority but no formal or blatant logical fallacies are present. The authors provide a clear description of the events and do not make any false claims or arguments.
    • ][A prominent Iranian economist, Siamak Ghassemi,] said on social media that the voters were sending a clear message. ['In one of the most competitive presidential elections, where reformists and conservatives came to the field with all their might, a 60 percent majority of Iranians are through with reformist and conservatives.'][]
    • The campaign was notable for how candidly those issues were discussed and a public willingness to attack the status quo. In speeches, televised debates and round-table discussions, the candidates criticized government policies and ridiculed rosy official assessments of Iran’s economic prospects as harmful delusions.
    • The interior ministry announced on Saturday that Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist candidate critical of many of the Iranian government’s policies, including the mandatory head scarf law, will compete next week against Saeed Jalili, an ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Iran’s supreme leader is terrified of people power

The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited The Economist Saturday, 29 June 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Ayatollah Ali Khamenei considered any vote in the presidential election as a vote for his Islamic Republic.
    • The first round of Iran’s presidential election on June 28th resulted in the lowest turnout on record with approximately 60% of the electorate not voting.
  • Accuracy
    • Out of 60 million eligible voters, only 24.5 million participated in the election with a turnout of approximately 40% - the lowest in Iran’s history since the Islamic Republic was founded in 1979.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication