Iran votes for new President with reformists barred from standing
BBC, 19 Jun 2021
People in Iran have been voting for a new president with the country facing big challenges, from the pandemic, to an economic crisis, soaring inflation and continuing US sanctions.
It's thought likely that the winner will be a hardline candidate, with close links to Ayatollah Khamenei, the country's supreme leader.
Ebrahim Raisi is head of the judiciary and a religious conservative, who's led crackdowns on popular protest and demands for reform. Many more-moderate candidates have been barred from standing.
The election comes at a delicate time, with hopes that Iran will return to the deal that restricted its nuclear programme.
Sophie Raworth presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen.