Tehran, May 19, 2017: Ebrahim Raisi, the leading rival to President Hassan Rouhani in Friday's presidential election, is a hardline judge with close ties to the supreme leader who spent years in powerful backroom positions. Born into a religious family in the Shiite Muslim holy city of Mashhad on August 23, 1960, Raisi wears the black turban of a "seyed" whose genealogy is said to lead back to Prophet Mohammed.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Egypt Today.</s>DUBAI/BEIRUT (Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani pledged on Saturday to open Iran to the world and deliver freedoms its people have yearned for, throwing down a defiant challenge to his hardline opponents after securing a decisive re-election for a second term.

Rouhani, long known as a cautious and mild-mannered establishment insider, reinvented himself as a bold champion of reform during the election campaign, which culminated on Friday in victory with more than 57 percent of the vote. His main challenger, hardline judge Ebrahim Raisi, received 38 percent.

In his first televised speech after the result, Rouhani appeared to openly defy conservative judges by praising the spiritual leader of the reform camp, former President Mohammad Khatami. A court has banned quoting or naming Khatami on air.

“Our nation’s message in the election was clear: Iran’s nation chose the path of interaction with the world, away from violence and extremism,” Rouhani said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whose country has had no diplomatic relations with Iran since 1980, said he hoped Rouhani would use his second term to end Tehran’s ballistic missile program and what he called its network of terrorism.

Iran denies any involvement in terrorism and says its missile program, which U.S. President Donald Trump recently targeted with new sanctions, is purely for defense purposes.

Although the powers of the elected president are limited by those of unelected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who outranks him, the scale of Rouhani’s victory gives the pro-reform camp its strongest mandate in at least 12 years to seek the sort of change that hardliners have thwarted for decades.

Rouhani’s opponent Raisi, a protege of Khamenei, had united the conservative faction and had been tipped as a potential successor to the 77-year-old supreme leader. His defeat leaves the conservatives without an obvious flag bearer.

The re-election is likely to safeguard the nuclear agreement Rouhani’s government reached with global powers in 2015, under which most international sanctions have been lifted in return for Iran curbing its nuclear program.

And it delivers a setback to the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the powerful security force which controls a vast industrial empire in Iran. They had thrown their support behind Raisi to safeguard their interests.

CHEERING AND DANCING

Thousands of people gathered in central Tehran to celebrate Rouhani’s victory. Videos on social media showed young people clapping and chanting “We love you Hassan Rouhani, we support you.”

Some youngsters wore wristbands in violet, the color of Rouhani’s campaign. Others wore green, representing the reformist movement crushed by security forces after a 2009 election, whose leaders have been under house arrest since 2011.

During campaigning, Rouhani promised to seek their release if re-elected with a stronger mandate.

“We won. We’ve done what we should have for our country. Now it’s Rouhani’s turn to keep his promises,” said coffee shop owner Arash Geranmayeh, 29, reached by telephone in Tehran.

Videos from the cities of Kermanshah, Tabriz and the holy city of Mashhad showed hundreds of people in the streets, cheering and dancing.

Rouhani, 68, faces the same limits on his power to transform Iran that prevented him from delivering social change in his first term, and that thwarted Khatami, who failed to deliver on a reform agenda as president from 1997-2005.

But by publicly thanking “my dear brother, Mohammad Khatami” in his victory speech, Rouhani seemed to take up that mantle. It was a remarkable challenge to the Shi’ite Muslim religious judicial authorities, who have blacklisted Khatami from public life for his support for other reformists under house arrest.

Many experts are skeptical that a president can change much in Iran, as long as the supreme leader has veto power over all policies and control over the security forces. Some said the pattern was all too familiar from Rouhani’s first victory four years ago and Khatami’s victories the previous decade.

“The last two decades of presidential elections have been short days of euphoria followed by long years of disillusionment,” said Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment who focuses on Iran.

“Democracy in Iran is allowed to bloom only a few days every four years, while autocracy is evergreen.”

The re-elected president will also have to navigate a tricky relationship with Washington, which appears at best ambivalent about the nuclear accord agreed by former U.S. President Barack Obama. Trump has repeatedly described it as “one of the worst deals ever signed”, although his administration re-authorized waivers from sanctions this week.

Trump arrived on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, his first stop on the first trip abroad of his presidency. The Saudis are Iran’s biggest enemies in the region and are expected to push hard for Trump to turn his back on the nuclear deal.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his U.S. counterpart in Riyadh, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Iran’s presidential election was an internal matter. “We want to see deeds, not words” from Iran, he added.

A supporter of Iranian president Hassan Rouhani holds his poster as she celebrates his victory in the presidential election, in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2017. TIMA via REUTERS

Kuwait’s emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, an ally of Saudi Arabia, congratulated Rouhani on his re-election.

BREAKING TABOOS

Rouhani’s reinvention as an ardent reformist on the campaign trail helped stir the passion of young, urban voters yearning for change. At times he broke rhetorical taboos, attacking the human rights record of the security forces and the judiciary.

During one rally he referred to hardliners as “those who cut out tongues and sewed mouths shut”. In a debate last week he accused Raisi of seeking to “abuse religion for power”. The language at the debate earned a rare public rebuke from Khamenei, who called it “unworthy”.

The contentiousness of the campaign could make it more difficult for Rouhani to secure the consent of hardliners to carry out his agenda, said Abbas Milani, director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University.

“Rouhani upped the ante in the past 10 days in the rhetoric that he used. Clearly it’s going to be difficult to back down on some of this stuff.”

The Guards could also use their role as shock troops of Iran’s interventions across the Middle East to try to derail future rapprochement with the West, said Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born lecturer at Israel’s Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya.

“Since the 1979 revolution, whenever hardliners have lost a political battle, they have tried to settle scores,” he said.

“I would worry about the more confrontational policy of the IRGC in the Persian Gulf ... and more confrontational policy with the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.”

Among the congratulatory messages sent to Rouhani by world leaders, Iran’s battlefield ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad looked forward to cooperating “to strengthen the security and stability of both countries, the region and the world”.

The biggest prize for Rouhani’s supporters is the potential to set Iran’s course for decades by influencing the choice of a successor to Khamenei, who has been in power since 1989.

A Raisi victory would have probably ensured that the next supreme leader was a hardliner. Rouhani’s win gives reformists a chance to build clout in the body that chooses the leader, the Assembly of Experts, where neither reformists nor conservatives dominate.

Khamenei praised Iranians for their big turnout after voters queued up for hours to cast their ballots. The strong turnout of around 73 percent of eligible voters appeared to have favored Rouhani, whose backers’ main concern had been apathy among reformists disappointed with the slow pace of change.

Slideshow (11 Images)

Many voters said they came out to block the rise of Raisi, one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death in the 1980s, regarded by reformers as a symbol of the security state at its most fearsome.

“The wide mobilization of the hardline groups and the real prospect of Raisi winning scared many people into coming out to vote,” said Nasser, a 52-year-old journalist.

“We had a bet among friends, and I said Raisi would win and I think that encouraged a few of my friends who might not have voted to come out and vote.”</s>First vote since landmark nuclear deal is seen as a tight race between President Hassan Rouhani and Ebrahim Raisi.

Iranians have begun voting in a closely-fought presidential election that could determine Iran's pace of social and economic reform and its re-engagement with the world.

Friday's poll is expected to be a two-horse race between reformist President Hassan Rouhani and conservative challenger Ebrahim Raisi. Two other candidates are also on the ballot - conservative Mostafa Mirsalim and reformist Mostafa Hashemitaba - though they are not expected to win more than a few percent of the vote.

State television showed long queues outside voting stations in several cities, shortly after polls opened at 03:30GMT. Some 56 million people are eligible to vote.

"Everyone should vote in this important election ... vote at early hours," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said after casting his ballot in the capital, Tehran.

"The country's fate is determined by the people," he added.

Polls close at 13:30GMT, although authorities often extend voting into the evening.

Ballot counting will start at midnight and final results are expected within 24 hours of polls closing, the semi-official Fars news agency said. The elections are also for city and village councils.

READ MORE: Iran's 2017 elections - The 8 most important questions

The election is seen by many as a verdict on Rouhani's policy of opening up Iran to the world and his efforts to rebuild its stagnant economy.

Having been elected in a landslide four years ago on a promise to reduce the country's international isolation, Rouhani negotiated a historic deal with world powers in 2015 to curb Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

But the president faces strong competition from Raisi who has made grounds by positioning himself as a defender of the poor and calling for a much tougher line with the West.

"The election boils down to whether Rouhani is allowed a second term to finish what he began, or potentially Iran taking a different turn and standing up to the outside world," Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull, reporting from Tehran, said.

Rouhani has sought to frame the election as a choice between greater civil liberties and "extremism". 

 

 He pushed boundaries during the campaign, criticising the continued arrest of reformist leaders and activists, and calling on security agencies to not interfere in the vote. 

 

 Raisi has said he will stick by the nuclear deal with world powers but pointed to the continued economic slump as proof that Rouhani's diplomatic efforts have failed. 

 

 "Instead of using the capable hands of our youths to resolve problems, they are putting our economy in the hands of foreigners," Raisi said at a final rally in the city of Mashhad on Wednesday. 

 

 Rouhani responded by calling on voters to keep hardliners away from Iran's delicate diplomatic levers. 

 

 "One wrong decision by the president can mean war and a correct decision can mean peace," he said at his own Mashhad rally.

The election comes at a tense moment in Iran's relations with the United States. US President Donald Trump has previously said that he would "rip up" the nuclear deal. 

 

 On Wednesday, Rouhani gained what is seen as a reprieve when the Trump administration agreed to continue waiving nuclear-related sanctions, keeping the agreement on track for now. 

 

 Yet, Trump, who is visiting Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia this weekend, launched a 90-day review of the accord that could still see it abandoned.

Rouhani has vowed to work towards removing the remaining non-nuclear sanctions, but critics argue that will be hard with Trump in power.

While the nuclear deal has been at the forefront of the election, the issues of poverty and unemployment have dominated the campaign.

Rouhani has brought inflation down from around 40 percent when he took over in 2013, but prices are still rising by nine percent a year.

Oil sales have rebounded since the nuclear deal took effect in January 2016, but growth in the rest of the economy has been limited, leaving unemployment at 12.5 percent overall - close to 30 percent for the young - and many more are under-employed or struggling to get by.

Rouhani's opponents have criticised him over his economic record, saying his diplomatic efforts have done little to tackle unemployment and poverty.

Raisi has tried to gain support by promising more financial support to the working class and to triple cash handouts to the poor.

"[Raisi] is thinking about the people, simple people; he's thinking about poor people," one of his supporters told Al Jazeera.

But for others, Rouhani is the best candidate to tackle the country's key issues.

"We demand, as we have before, that the problem of youth unemployment be solved … I think Rouhani is the best choice and with anyone other than him I think our conditions would deteriorate," a young voter told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: How Iran views its role in the Middle East

Nasser Hadian, a professor at the University of Tehran, said the election was about more than just the economy.

"For a number of people, for an important section of society ... it is about respect, it is about human rights, it is about security and stability."</s>How will Iran react to worsening tension with the U.S.? That will, in part, be determined when Iranians head to the polls on May 19, in a contest between moderate President Hassan Rouhani and a slew of conservative candidates. WSJ's Niki Blasina reports. Photo: Getty Images.

TEHRAN—Iranians began voting Friday in a high-stakes presidential election that pits a moderate incumbent who has sought closer ties with the West against a hard-liner suspicious of that agenda.

The incumbent, Hassan Rouhani, is seeking a second four-year term. His main challenger is Ebrahim Raisi, a cleric who emerged only recently as a serious contender and is close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Al Khamenei, who has final say...</s>The report says President Hassan Rouhani has an unbeatable lead in Iran’s presidential election and is set to defeat his hardline rival Ebrahim Raisi. Photo: AFP

Dubai/Beirut: President Hassan Rouhani has an unbeatable lead in Iran’s presidential election, an Iranian official source told Reuters on Saturday, citing an early unofficial tally, and is set to defeat his hardline rival Ebrahim Raisi and win a second term.

In a briefing for reporters, interior ministry official Ali Asghar Ahmadi outlined a similar proportion of votes received.

“It’s over, Rouhani is the winner,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

The pragmatist Rouhani won 21.6 million votes in Friday’s hard-fought contest, compared to 14 million for Raisi, with 37 million votes counted, the source said, adding about four million more votes were still to be tallied.

The interior ministry official said that with 25 million ballots certified by the authorities so far, Rouhani won 14.619 million and Raisi gained 10.125 million.

He said 40 million votes had been cast, indicating a turnout of about 70%, roughly similar to the showing in 2013 elections when Rouhani swept into office in a landslide victory

Ahmadi said final results would be announced later on Saturday.

The big turnout appeared to have favoured Rouhani, whose backers’ main worry has been apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change.

Rouhani, 68, who took office promising to open Iran to the world and give its citizens more freedom at home, faced an unexpectedly strong challenge from Raisi, a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

The election is important “for Iran’s future role in the region and the world”, Rouhani, who struck a deal with world powers two years ago to curb Iran’s nuclear programme in return for the lifting of most economic sanctions, said after voting.

Raisi, 56, has accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy and has travelled to poor areas, speaking at rallies pledging more welfare benefits and jobs.

He is believed to have the backing of the powerful Revolutionary Guards security force, as well as the tacit support of Khamenei, whose powers outrank those of the elected president but who normally steers clear of day-to-day politics.

“I respect the outcome of the vote of the people and the result will be respected by me and all the people,” Raisi said after voting, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

However, Raisi later appeared at the Ministry of Interior in Tehran on Friday and complained of a shortage of ballot sheets at many polling stations, according to Fars. More ballot sheets were subsequently sent out, the agency reported.

The Guards and other hardliners had hoped that a win for Raisi would have given them an opportunity to safeguard economic and political power they see as jeopardised by the lifting of sanctions and opening of the country to foreign investment.

During weeks of campaigning, the two main candidates exchanged accusations of corruption and brutality in unprecedentedly hostile television debates. Both deny the other’s accusations.

Rouhani has urged the Guards not to meddle in the vote, a warning that reflects the political tension. Suspicions that the Guards and the Basij militia under their control falsified voting results in favour of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad led to eight months of nationwide protests in 2009, which were violently suppressed.

For ordinary Iranians, the election presents a stark choice between competing visions of the country.

Rouhani, known for decades as a mild-mannered establishment insider rather than a gung-ho reformer, has taken on the mantle of the reform camp in recent weeks, with fiery campaign speeches that attacked the human rights records of his opponents.

“I voted for Rouhani to prevent Raisi’s victory. I don’t want a hardliner to be my president,” said Ziba Ghomeyshi in Tehran. “I waited in the line for five hours to cast my vote.”

Many pro-reform voters are still lukewarm Rouhani supporters, disappointed with his failure to make broader changes during his first term. But they were anxious to keep out Raisi, who they see as representing the security state at its most fearsome: in the 1980s he was one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death.

“I like his (Rouhani) detente policy with the world. I know he is not a reformist, but who cares? What matters is that he is not Raisi,” employee Yousef Ghaemi, 43, said by phone in the western city of Kermanshah.

For conservatives, the election represented a chance to restore the values of the 1979 revolution, which requires elected officials to be subordinate to the Shi’ite Muslim clergy and supreme leader.

“I voted for Raisi because he is a follower of Imam Khamenei. He will not confront the leader if elected. He will protect our Islamic identity,” said Mehran Fardoust, 36, a shopkeeper near the Imam Reza Shrine in the holy city of Mashhad, Raisi’s home town.

Despite the removal of nuclear-related sanctions in 2016, lingering unilateral US sanctions that target Iran’s record on human rights and terrorism have kept foreign companies wary of investing, limiting the economic benefits so far.

Raisi has focused his campaign on the economy, visiting rural areas and villages and promising housing, jobs and more welfare benefits, a message which could have resonated with millions of poor voters angry at the Tehran elite. Reuters</s>Iranians began voting Friday in the country’s first presidential election since its nuclear deal with world powers, as incumbent Hassan Rouhani faced a staunch challenge from a hard-line opponent over his outreach to the wider world. 

 

 The election is largely viewed as a referendum on the 68-year-old cleric’s more moderate policies, which paved the way for the nuclear accord despite opposition from hard-liners.



 

 Economic issues also will be on the minds of Iran’s more than 56 million eligible voters as they head to more than 63,000 polling places across the country. The average Iranian has yet to see the benefits of the deal, which saw Iran limit its contested nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some sanctions. 

 

 In the election, Rouhani has history on his side. No incumbent president has failed to win re-election since 1981, when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the current supreme leader and most powerful man in Iran, became president himself. 

 

 That doesn’t mean it will be easy. Rouhani faces three challengers, the strongest among them hard-line cleric Ebrahim Raisi, 56.



 

 Raisi, a law professor and former prosecutor who heads an influential religious charitable foundation with vast business holdings, is seen by many as close to Khamenei. Raisi has even been discussed as a possible successor to him, though Khamenei has stopped short of endorsing anyone. 

 

 Raisi won the support of two major clerical bodies and promised to boost welfare payments to the poor. His populist posture, anti-corruption rhetoric and get-tough reputation —bolstered by his alleged role condemning inmates to death during Iran’s 1988 mass execution of thousands of political prisoners — are likely to energize conservative rural and working-class voters. 

 

 Mostafa Hashemitaba, a pro-reform figure who previously ran for president in 2001, and Mostafa Mirsalim, a former culture minister, also remain in the race. 

 

 Voting is scheduled to run until 6 p.m., though Iranian authorities routinely extend voting for several hours in elections.</s>President Hassan Rouhani has an unbeatable lead in Iran’s presidential election, an Iranian official source told Reuters on Saturday, citing an early unofficial tally, and is set to defeat his hardline rival Ebrahim Raisi and win a second term.

In a briefing for reporters, interior ministry official Ali Asghar Ahmadi outlined a similar proportion of votes received.

“It’s over, Rouhani is the winner,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

The pragmatist Rouhani won 21.6 million votes in Friday’s hard-fought contest, compared to 14 million for Raisi, with 37 million votes counted, the source said, adding about four million more votes were still to be tallied.

The interior ministry official said that with 25 million ballots certified by the authorities so far, Rouhani won 14.619 million and Raisi gained 10.125 million.

READ MORE: Iranian-Canadians drive to U.S. for only option to vote in Iran election

He said 40 million votes had been cast, indicating a turnout of about 70 percent, roughly similar to the showing in 2013 elections when Rouhani swept into office in a landslide victory

Ahmadi said final results would be announced later on Saturday.

The big turnout appeared to have favored Rouhani, whose backers’ main worry has been apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change.

Rouhani, 68, who took office promising to open Iran to the world and give its citizens more freedom at home, faced an unexpectedly strong challenge from Raisi, a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

The election is important “for Iran’s future role in the region and the world,” Rouhani, who struck a deal with world powers two years ago to curb Iran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of most economic sanctions, said after voting.

Raisi, 56, has accused Rouhani of mismanaging the economy and has traveled to poor areas, speaking at rallies pledging more welfare benefits and jobs.

READ MORE: Iranian president’s nude statue cover up drives culture clash amid trip to Italy, France

He is believed to have the backing of the powerful Revolutionary Guards security force, as well as the tacit support of Khamenei, whose powers outrank those of the elected president but who normally steers clear of day-to-day politics.

“I respect the outcome of the vote of the people and the result will be respected by me and all the people,” Raisi said after voting, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

However, Raisi later appeared at the Ministry of Interior in Tehran on Friday and complained of a shortage of ballot sheets at many polling stations, according to Fars. More ballot sheets were subsequently sent out, the agency reported.

The Guards and other hardliners had hoped that a win for Raisi would have given them an opportunity to safeguard economic and political power they see as jeopardized by the lifting of sanctions and opening of the country to foreign investment.

During weeks of campaigning, the two main candidates exchanged accusations of corruption and brutality in unprecedentedly hostile television debates. Both deny the other’s accusations.

Rouhani has urged the Guards not to meddle in the vote, a warning that reflects the political tension. Suspicions that the Guards and the Basij militia under their control falsified voting results in favor of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad led to eight months of nationwide protests in 2009, which were violently suppressed.

For ordinary Iranians, the election presents a stark choice between competing visions of the country.

Rouhani, known for decades as a mild-mannered establishment insider rather than a gung-ho reformer, has taken on the mantle of the reform camp in recent weeks, with fiery campaign speeches that attacked the human rights records of his opponents.

“I waited in the line for five hours to cast my vote.”

Many pro-reform voters are still lukewarm Rouhani supporters, disappointed with his failure to make broader changes during his first term. But they were anxious to keep out Raisi, who they see as representing the security state at its most fearsome: in the 1980s he was one of four judges who sentenced thousands of political prisoners to death.

“I like his (Rouhani) detente policy with the world. I know he is not a reformist, but who cares? What matters is that he is not Raisi,” employee Yousef Ghaemi, 43, said by phone in the western city of Kermanshah.

READ MORE: Iran’s president condemns U.S. sanctions, calling them an ‘invasion’

For conservatives, the election represented a chance to restore the values of the 1979 revolution, which requires elected officials to be subordinate to the Shi’ite Muslim clergy and supreme leader.

“I voted for Raisi because he is a follower of Imam Khamenei. He will not confront the leader if elected. He will protect our Islamic identity,” said Mehran Fardoust, 36, a shopkeeper near the Imam Reza Shrine in the holy city of Mashhad, Raisi’s home town.

Despite the removal of nuclear-related sanctions in 2016, lingering unilateral U.S. sanctions that target Iran’s record on human rights and terrorism have kept foreign companies wary of investing, limiting the economic benefits so far.

Raisi has focused his campaign on the economy, visiting rural areas and villages and promising housing, jobs and more welfare benefits, a message which could have resonated with millions of poor voters angry at the Tehran elite.</s>Senior official leaves Khamenei office to join Rouhani campaign

Veteran Iranian politician, Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri has resigned from his post in Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office to join President Hassan Rouhani’s election campaign.

IRNA news agency quoted an informed source as saying that Nategh-Nouri has resigned as the head of the supreme leader’s Inspection Office, but his request has not been accepted yet.

Nategh-Nouri decided to support Rouhani in his ongoing presidency campaign, so submitted his resignation to Khamenei a while ago, the source said, adding that the 72-year-old politician believes that having a position in the leader’s office contradicts his decision to join a political campaign.

Nategh-Nouri “seriously” believes that the “valuable position” in the supreme leader’s office should not be used by political groups for their goals, the source added.

The source also rejected rumors about Nategh-Nouri’s dismissal by Khamenei.

Iranians go to the polling stations on May 19 to elect their president.

Iran’s incumbent President Rouhani backed by reformists is seeking re-election against his hardliner rival, Ebrahim Raisi.

During the previous presidential election in June 2013, Rouhani garnered 50.7 percent of over 36 million votes.

According to Ali Asghar Ahmadi, the head of the Interior Ministry’s State Elections Committee, over 56.4 million Iranians can cast their ballots in the election tomorrow.</s>Supreme leader denounces heated rhetoric and calls for high voter turnout as candidates hold last rallies ahead of poll.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has denounced the heated rhetoric of the country's presidential election campaign, calling it "unworthy", less than two days before Iranians go to the polls.

With the withdrawal of other candidates, Friday's election has turned into what is seen as an unexpectedly tight race between incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, of the Reformist bloc, and Ebrahim Raisi, a Principlist cleric and jurist.

The two squared off last week in a fiery televised debate, the third and final such event ahead of the May 19 vote.

"In the election debates, some remarks were made that were unworthy of the Iranian nation. But the [wide] participation of the people will erase all of that," Khamenei told an audience on Wednesday, according to his website.

READ MORE: The most important questions about Iran's elections

While Khamenei did not mention any candidate by name, his criticism appeared to be aimed at Rouhani, who during last week's debate told his main opponent: "Mr. Raisi, you can slander me as much as you wish. As a judge of the clerical court, you can even issue an arrest order. But please don't abuse religion for power".

He also said: "Some security and revolutionary groups are bussing people to your campaign rallies ... Who finances them?"

Raisi, who is seen to be very close to Khamenei, had previously attacked Rouhani for failing to deliver promised improvements to the economy.

"Poverty has increased with this government from 23 percent to 33 percent," said Raisi.

"We must increase direct aid to the poor," he added, accusing Rouhani's government of boosting subsidies only at the last minute to grab votes.

READ MORE: How will election shape Iran's foreign policy?

Under Iran's ruling system, Khamenei, who has been in office since 1989, has more authority than the elected president. Yet, the supreme leader is traditionally expected to remain above the fray of day-to-day politics, and Khameini has generally limited his comments about the election to calling for a strong voter turnout.

On Wednesday, the last day of campaigning marked by rallies attended by tens of thousands of supporters of the two main candidates, Khamenei urged voters to head to the polls and send a message to Iran's adversaries.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said turnout is expected to exceed 70 percent. Some 56.4 million people out of a population of 80 million are eligible to vote.

Fazli said that vote counting would commence after midnight and that the results would be announced "sooner" than in previous elections. In past occasions, results were announced two days later.

Friday's election will largely serve as a referendum on Rouhani's outreach to the West, which culminated in the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of some economic sanctions.

Despite the deal, Khamenei remains deeply suspicious of the United States and its intentions towards Iran.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump passed up a chance to derail the nuclear deal with Iran and capitalise on his campaign promise to "rip up" the agreement.

OPINION: Are elections in Iran an exercise in futility?

Trump had until Thursday to extend a sanctions waiver on Iran. The US state department announced a day earlier it would be signed, meaning old sanctions would not be re-imposed and the nuclear deal will continue - at least for now.

The department also announced the imposition of new unrelated sanctions against Iranian defence officials and an Iranian "entity". It also pledged to continue reviewing the nuclear deal with withdrawal still possible.

Rouhani has vowed to work towards removing the remaining non-nuclear sanctions, but Hamed Mousavi, a professor at the University of Tehran, told Al Jazeera that the Trump presidency made that promise unlikely.

"With Trump in power in the United States, that seems very doubtful," Mousavi said.

"The US administration, right now, doesn’t even want to negotiate with Iran. So whether [Rouhani] will be able to lift the even non-nuclear sanctions is more an election promise, than actual policy," he added.

Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull, reporting from the capital, Tehran, said Trump's decision on Wednesday "could be a boost" for Rouhani.

"So much tracks back here to the 2015 deal that so many people placed their hopes of economic progress and re-engagement in the world, but many have found themselves disappointed," Hull said, pointing to high unemployment rates.

Rouhani's opponents have criticised him over his economic record, saying his diplomatic efforts have done little to tackle unemployment and poverty.

Unemployment is officially stuck at 12.5 percent - close to 30 percent for the young - and many more are under-employed or struggling to get by.

Raisi has tried to pick up working-class votes by promising more financial support.

Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, reporting from the city of Qom, said those promises have played an important role in the campaign.

"What Raisi is depending on is a surge from those who are underprivileged, those who are poor, those who traditionally go to this camp in Iranian politics, and those assurances by Raisi, whether they can be afforded or not, of handouts to the poor," Simmons said.

For his part, Rouhani, who took over in 2013, says he needs more time to rebuild an economy that had been shattered by years of sanctions and mismanagement.

"At the halfway point, we don't turn back," he told voters.

Besides Rouhani and his Raisi, two other candidates - Mostafa Hashemitaba, a pro-reform figure who previously ran for president in 2001, and Mostafa Mirsalim, a former culture minister - are in the race but are widely expected to drop out before polling begins.
Incumbent President Hassan Rouhani has a lead, citing an early official tally, and is on course to defeat his rival Ebrahim Raisi.