Iran Presidential Hopefuls Outline Economic Plans in Home Stretch

Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili, the two candidates who won the highest number of votes in the nationwide presidential election on June 28, faced off in the final one-on-one debate on Tuesday night to discuss economy.

The two candidates took turns discussing topics about the revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the removal of sanctions, economic interaction with the world, curtailing liquidity and reducing inflation, providing employment, housing policies, a possible rise in fuel price, addressing the stock exchange market problems, reducing poverty, automotive industry and car imports, and combatting corruption.

Pezeshkian garnered 42.45% of the ballots, while the runner-up, Jalili, secured 38.61% of the votes.

The countrywide election is taking place a year ahead of schedule, as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi passed away in May.

A helicopter carrying President Raisi and his entourage crashed in northwestern mountainous forests on May 19, killing the president, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and six others.