Iranians vote in presidential election runoff

Iranians will choose between two presidential candidates with starkly different plans in a run-off election this week. Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian was the surprise winner of the first round of voting last week, while ultra-conservative Saeed Jalili — an ally of Supreme Leader Khomenei — was just behind him.

They will now battle in a race pitting radically different ideologies against one another. One is seeking closer ties with the West and a relaxation of social laws including Hijab laws. The other is seeking to push the opposite way.

For more on what’s at stake and who the candidates are, host Deepa Fernandes speaks to Borzou Daragahi, an Iranian-American journalist and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.