US expects no 'fundamental change' in Iran's direction after July 5 presidential election
'Our view is that these elections in Iran are not free and fair,' says State Department
WASHINGTON
The US on Monday said it has "no expectation" of a "fundamental change" in Iran’s direction after a run-off presidential election on July 5.
"Our view is that these elections in Iran are not free and fair, and we have no expectation that these elections, and whatever the outcome might be, will lead to a fundamental change in Iran's direction, or lead the Iranian regime to offer more respect for human rights and more dignity for its citizens," State Department's deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
Former Health Minister Masoud Pezeshkian and former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili will face off in the second round.
Pezeshkian, a reformist contender, garnered 10.4 million votes in the first round while Jalili, a conservative candidate, ended up in the second place with 9.4 million votes.
An estimated 61 million people are eligible to vote in the election. In the 2021 presidential election, 59.3 million people were eligible to vote.
The first round's voter turnout at 40% was the lowest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
