Iran's supreme leader casts his vote in presidential election TEHRAN - Voting got underway here Friday with what is arguably Iran's most influential vote, that of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But Khamenei offered no hints about who he preferred to succeed controversial president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Until now I haven't told anyone who I voted for. Not even the people closest to me. Not my family and not my children. They are not aware who I voted for. In a brief early morning appearance at a mosque inside his heavily secured central Tehran compound, Khamenei cast his votes for city council and president. Lines were long at polling places throughout Tehran as balloting began. All six presidential candidates are considered to be loyal to Khamenei, but there are variations in their plans for domestic and foreign policy, especially in terms of their proposed handling of nuclear negotiations with global powers. In choosing the successor of Ahmadinejad, whose second term has been marred by accusations of economic mismanagement and attempts to undermine the authority of the Islamic Republic's powerful clergy, some analysts believe that foreign policy concerns, particularly relations with the US, will be at the top of the next president's agenda. Khamenei, however, dismissed the importance of the U.S. view on Iranian domestic politics. I heard recently that someone in America's National Security Council said that we don't accept Iran's elections. To hell with those who don't accept it," said Khamenei.