Polls close in Iran’s snap presidential election to replace deceased Raisi

Iranian people stand in a queue as they wait to vote at a polling station in a snap presidential election to choose a successor to Ebrahim Raisi following his death in a helicopter crash, Tehran, Iran, June 28, 2024. © Majid Asgaripour, West Asia News Agency via Reuters

Iranians voted on Friday in a snap presidential election to replace Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash last month. Voting hours were extended twice to enable more voters to cast their ballots as Iranian leaders called for a high turnout amid a legitimacy crisis fuelled by an economic crisis and crackdowns on social freedoms.

Friday's elections, originally slated for 2025, were brought forward following the unexpected death of ultraconservative president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month.