In a heated debate on Monday, Iran’s two presidential candidates accused each other of lacking solutions for the country’s pressing issues ahead of Friday’s runoff election.
This election aims to find a successor to the late President Ebrahim Raisi, who tragically died in a helicopter crash last month.
During the more than two-hour debate on public TV, reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian criticized his opponent, hard-line former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, for his lack of managerial experience. Pezeshkian questioned Jalili’s ability to run the country, asking, “What single company have you ever managed to make you capable of running the country?”
Jalili, known as the “Living Martyr” after losing a leg in the Iran-Iraq war, defended his career, highlighting his roles, including that of top nuclear negotiator. He promised to approach nuclear deal negotiations “based on strength not weakness,” but did not provide specific details.
Jalili also accused Pezeshkian of lacking plans for managing the country, warning that his presidency would revert Iran to a “backward position” similar to the era of former President Hassan Rouhani. Jalili asserted that with popular support, Iran could achieve an 8% annual economic growth, a claim Pezeshkian mocked, suggesting authorities should “execute him if he failed” to deliver on it.
Pezeshkian emphasized the need for a “dynamic foreign policy” and negotiations to lift sanctions, advocating for broader engagement with the world. Both candidates pledged to address issues affecting the country’s poor, workers, women, ethnic groups, and religious minorities, and to improve internet access for the younger generation.
They also expressed concern over the low turnout in the first round of voting, the lowest in the Islamic Republic’s history, with Pezeshkian calling for an investigation into why some 60% of voters did not cast ballots.
The candidates are set for a final debate on Tuesday.
