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One of the more telling features of the election campaign in Iran was that no candidate seemed to appeal to Generation Z first-time voters. Perhaps they assumed it was a lost cause, believing Gen Z wouldn't vote.
Iran's relations with the United States appear to be at the heart of the country's plethora of issues, as highlighted by state television and the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's selection of six candidates to replace former President Ebrahim Raisi.
A significant portion of the Iranian population, reportedly up to two-thirds, perceive the meticulously orchestrated presidential elections as a "circus" and regard the debates as a boring and tedious spectacle.
Until May 2024, preparations were underway to get Iran’s late president Ebrahim Raisi re-elected in 2025. Raisi had won his first term in a non-competitive election in June 2021 but died in a helicopter crash in May.
Observers note that amid otherwise uneventful presidential debates, a contentious issue emerged, dividing conservatives and so-called reformists: the unfulfilled promise of a COVID-19 vaccine.
This month, three Iraqi Shiite militant groups, backed by the IRGC, announced their readiness to send forces to Lebanon to participate in a potential war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s pro-reform candidate, is notably non-combative and refrains from personal attacks on other candidates both in and outside of debates. When confronted with attacks, he remains silent.
The Canadian government's designation of the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) as a terrorist entity provoked diverse reactions from Iranians: the authorities expressed profound outrage, while many citizens welcomed the decision.
Convicted war criminal Hamid Nouri is back on Iranian soil after being released by Sweden in a prisoner swap deal with Tehran on June 16.
Iran is grappling with a severe energy deficit crisis, exacerbated by the summer heat and the government's failure to meet natural gas and electricity production targets.
A survey conducted by the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) reveals a significant lack of interest among the electorate, with 73% of respondents indicating they did not watch the first presidential debate on June 17.
The office of Iran's leading Sunni cleric, Mowlavi Abdolhamid, denied reports that he had endorsed any candidates in the upcoming presidential election.
Four prisoners received a combined sentence of 33 years in prison and 518 lashes for a 2022 fire incident at Iran's notorious jail, rights group reported.