Reformist candidate Masud Pezeshkian has taken a slight early lead in Iran’s July 5 runoff presidential election against ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, the Interior Ministry said in the early hours of July 6.

The announcement came after Tasnim News Agency, which is close to Iran’s hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said preliminary results indicated that Pezeshkian had "overtaken Saeed Jalili, and this count is moving in favor of Mr. Pezeshkian."

A spokesman for the country's election committee said that with 2,547,381 ballots counted, Pezeshkian was leading with 1,263,874 to Jalili's 1,244,640.

A total of 25.4 million ballots were cast, indicating a turnout of around 50 percent, officials said.

Following the close of polling stations at midnight, the election commission said that “due to the presence of only two candidates in this round of elections, vote counting will be accelerated and the results will be announced from 2:30 a.m. onwards, and the final results will be announced before noon” on July 6.

Results of the vote -- being held at a time when Iranians are contending with a lack of freedoms, declining living standards, and a faltering economy -- will also be closely watched for final details of participation levels following a record-low turnout of 39.9 percent in the first round on June 28.

No candidate secured enough votes to be declared the outright winner in that round, which failed to generate widespread participation despite calls by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for a high turnout to project an image of a strong Iran where its people back the political establishment.

Voting on July 5 was scheduled to end at 6 p.m. local, but it was extended three times -- once to 8 p.m., then to 10 p.m., and then to midnight -- as authorities sought to encourage as many people as possible to go to the polls.

The election, which was triggered by the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May, came down to a choice between veteran lawmaker Pezeshkian, considered by many to be a reformist, and former nuclear negotiator Jalili.

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Who Is Saeed Jalili, The Hard-Line Candidate In Iran's Runoff Vote For President?

Jalili serves as Supreme Leader Khamenei’s personal representative on the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC). He was the SNSC's secretary between 2007 and 2013, during which time he led the Iranian delegation in failed talks with the West on Tehran’s nuclear program.

He represents the hard-line part of the conservative camp and has never held elected office.

Pezeshkian has been a member of parliament since 2008 and served as deputy speaker between 2016 and 2020, when moderates and reformists had a majority in the legislature.

He has questioned Iran's methods of enforcing the hijab, or Islamic head scarf for women, and spoken in favor of negotiating with the West. But he also supports the principles of the Islamic republic and says he will follow Khamenei's policies if elected.

The outcome of the election is unlikely to result in major policy shifts, but it could have an impact on the succession to the 85-year-old Khamenei, who has been Iran's supreme leader since 1989.

Khamenei acknowledged that first-round turnout was "not as expected" but denied the lack of voter interest reflected unpopularity for Iran's leadership.

He called the vote "very important," adding, "Those who love Islam and the Islamic republic and the progress of the country must show it by taking part in the election."

Khamenei, who has the final say on all official matters in Iran, cast his vote at a mobile polling station at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran in the first minutes after voting started on July 5.

"I've heard that people's enthusiasm and interest are higher than in the first round," Khamenei said. "May God make it this way as this will be gratifying news."

One man who asked not to be identified told RFE/RL he did not participate in the first round of voting but that he cast a ballot for Pezeshkian in this round.

Sepideh, a 19-year-old university student in Tehran, told Reuters: "I will not vote. This is a big 'no' to the Islamic republic because of Mahsa [Amini]. I want a free country. I want a free life."

The 2022 death in custody of Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman, sparked massive street protests throughout Iran, leading to a brutal crackdown by authorities.

At a Tehran polling station, AFP quoted Fatemeh, 48, as saying she voted for Pezeshkian, whose "priorities include women and young people's rights."

SEE ALSO:

Who Is Masud Pezeshkian, The Surprise Front-Runner In Iran's Presidential Vote?

The Islamic republic has long maintained it derives its legitimacy from strong voter turnout, but poor participation in recent elections and deadly antiestablishment protests have challenged the legitimacy of the current leadership.

Pezeshkian finished the first round with 10.5 million votes, above Jalili’s 9.5 million. But he also benefited from the splitting of the conservative vote, with 3.4 million votes going to parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who has since endorsed Jalili.

However, there is no guarantee that all of Qalibaf's votes would swing to Jalili since they represent vastly different groups in the highly factionalized conservative camp.

Pezeshkian's campaign sought to increase turnout by convincing people who boycotted the first round to vote in the runoff. His supporters have attempted to highlight what they see as the dangers of a hard-line figure like Jalili coming to power, arguing that his administration would enact repressive policies and further isolate Iran.

Jalili's supporters portrayed Pezeshkian as a man who is soft on the West and will make Iranian progress dependent on good relations with Western nations.

Dissidents urged the public to continue their boycott of the vote, insisting that elections in Iran are neither free nor fair and that past votes have failed to instigate change, since ultimate power lies with Khamenei.

Raisi, who many Iranians refer to as the "Butcher of Tehran" for his alleged role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988 when he was Tehran's deputy prosecutor, died along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other officials when their helicopter crashed on May 19.

A man who wounded a policeman in front of the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade with a crossbow on June 29 had sworn allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State (IS) terror group, according to a video seen on July 5 by RFE/RL. Milos Zujovic, who took the name Salahudin when he converted to Islam, said in the video that he swore allegiance to Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, "the leader of all Muslims." The place or date that the video was recorded was not clear. Zujovic, a native of Mladenovac near Belgrade, wounded a policeman on duty in front of the embassy before he was shot dead by the officer. Authorities labeled it a terrorist attack, and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said another person had been arrested in Belgrade on suspicion of terrorist association, identified only by the initials I.D. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Balkan Service, click here.

Romania has eased travel restrictions on Andrew Tate, the divisive social media influencer awaiting trial in Romania on charges of human trafficking and rape. A Bucharest court on July 5 maintained judicial control over Tate, his brother Tristan, and two Romanian women, but the latest court decision lifted the restriction and allowed them to travel throughout the European Union. The decision can be challenged by prosecutors within two days of notice. Andrew and Tristan Tate, former kickboxers with dual U.S. and British citizenship, are accused of forming an organized criminal group, human trafficking, and rape. They have denied the allegations. They were in custody from the end of December 2022 to April 2023 but were later placed on house arrest pending trial. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Romanian Service, click here.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on July 5 promised to defend the "territorial integrity" of Tajikistan as he announced a boost to diplomatic relations with the neighboring country on a rare visit. Xi arrived in Dushanbe from Kazakhstan following a gathering of leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, during which he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged the bloc to "resist external interference." Central Asia is a vital link in China's flagship Belt and Road Initiative, a massive infrastructure project Beijing has used to expand its clout overseas, but which critics say has left developing countries saddled with onerous loans. "China will continue to unswervingly promote friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation with Tajikistan...firmly support Tajikistan's efforts to safeguard national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," Xi told Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmon, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The Pentagon said it was will "indefinitely postpone" its planned Noble Partner military exercise with Georgia as the United States reviews its relationship with the South Caucasus nation. The review came following Georgia’s June 3 passage of a "foreign agent" law that was assailed in the West over concerns it will stifle media and independent voices. A Pentagon statement said the decision to postpone the exercise, scheduled for July 25 to August 6, is due to "false accusations" against the United States and other Western entities after U.S. criticism of the law and its sanctioning of some Georgian officials. "As such, the United States government has determined that this is an inappropriate time to hold a large-scale military exercise in Georgia," the statement said. The Georgian Defense Ministry called the U.S. decision "regrettable," saying such exercises "benefit Georgia as well as to the United States and its partner countries." To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Georgian Service, click here.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that the alliance will provide 40 billion euros ($43 billion) in military aid to Ukraine in 2025. He told a news conference in Brussels that NATO leaders will "reaffirm their determination to support Ukraine" at a Washington summit on July 9-11. Stoltenberg's comments confirm a Reuters report earlier in the week that citied a Western European diplomat as saying the aid package was planned. Stoltenberg has pressed for a multiyear commitment from the alliance on aid to Ukraine, but the current package will be reevaluated the following year, officials said. Separately, a senior U.S. official told reporters in Washington that NATO allies will present a "bridge to membership" scenario for Ukraine at the summit. They will "reaffirm that Ukraine's future is in NATO, will make significant new announcements about how we are increasing NATO's military, political, and financial support for Ukraine," the officials said. To read the original tory by RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, click here.

European leaders on July 5 slammed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his visit to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of shaking hands "with a bloody dictator" and of "exploiting the EU presidency position to sow confusion."

Orban, who has angered EU and Ukrainian officials with his regular pro-Russia comments and policies, claimed he was in Moscow to help settle the war between Russia and Ukraine, but Western and Ukrainian officials have blasted the trip, insisting he doesn't speak for Brussels or Kyiv.

"In Moscow, Viktor Orban in no way represents the EU or the EU's positions," said Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who has been designated to become the EU's next foreign affairs representative.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

"He is exploiting the EU presidency position to sow confusion. The EU is united, clearly behind Ukraine and against Russian aggression,” she said.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda echoed her comments. The Baltic nations Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have all expressed strong support of Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

"If you truly seek peace, you don't shake hands with a bloody dictator, you put all your efforts to support Ukraine," Nauseda wrote on X.

The White House joined in on the criticism, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying the visit "will not advance the cause of peace and is counterproductive to promoting Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.”

Following his talks with Putin at the Kremlin, Orban told a news conference that his trip represented a "first step to restore dialogue" between the warring parties, but he acknowledged that viewpoints remain "far apart" in Kyiv and Moscow.

"I have found that positions are far apart. The number of steps needed to end the war and bring about peace are many," said Orban, who vowed to "continue this work."

EU and Ukrainian officials have insisted that Orban, who holds the rotating EU Council presidency, has no authority to negotiate on behalf of the bloc or Kyiv.

In televised comments, Putin maintained his long-standing position -- which has been rejected by Kyiv -- telling Orban that Ukraine must hand over all of four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine that Russia has partially occupied and claimed as its own in their entirety.

"We are talking about the full withdrawal of all troops from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics [officially Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions], and from the Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions," Putin said.

Russia state media said Orban departed Moscow late on July 5 on the planned one-day visit just ahead of a massive rainstorm.

Since word leaked a day earlier of the apparently uncoordinated visit, multiple senior EU officials intensified statements distancing the bloc from Orban's plans and actions, and Kyiv said it hadn't given its "agreement" to anything.

The trip comes less than a week after Budapest assumed the six-month rotating EU Council presidency and three days after Orban presented a mystery cease-fire proposal in another surprise visit to Kyiv.

Orban maintains close relations with Putin and has resisted EU and other sanctions on Russia and refused to join military and other Western aid efforts to help Ukraine beat back the 28-month full-scale invasion ordered by Putin.

Receiving Orban in the Kremlin, Putin said at the start of televised talks that he regarded the Hungarian leader as somehow acting on behalf of the European Union in terms that appeared crafted to troll Brussels.

"I understand that this time you have come not just as our longstanding partner but as president of the [EU] Council," Putin told Orban. He said he expected Orban to lay out "the position of European partners" on the situation in Ukraine and was ready to talk about "nuances" of peace proposals.

Orban is being accompanied on the trip by his foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto.

Orban's spokesman shared an image on social media of Orban on a red carpet on a tarmac in Moscow with the message "The #peace mission continues. Second stop: #Moscow."

Szijjarto posted an image of himself exiting a Hungarian Air Force plane and said, "Arriving in Moscow. Another step for peace!"

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Wider Europe Briefing: Should Brussels Be Afraid Of Hungary's EU Presidency?

EU officials might disagree.

An unnamed EU official told RFE/RL that Orban had not informed Brussels of any planned Moscow trip, and his press office did not initially respond to request for comment.

Current EU foreign affairs high representative Josep Borrell said in a statement on July 5 that "Prime Minister Orban has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow."

He said the visit "takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia."

Orban has whipped up heightened fears of an escalating conflict in recent Hungarian elections, seemingly adopted Kremlin talking points, and accused many in the West of warmongering in response to Russia's invasion.

He has also whipped up heightened fears of an escalating conflict in recent Hungarian elections.

Orban's record with respect to Moscow has sparked concerns that beyond rule-of-law and democracy disputes with Brussels, the Hungarian EU presidency might erode unity among bloc members in the face of Russian aggression.

In Kyiv on July 2, Orban presented Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy with a cease-fire proposal he said was aimed at pausing the fighting. He declined to give details but said he asked Zelenskiy "whether it was possible to take a break, to stop the firing, and then continue the negotiations."

SEE ALSO:

Hungary At The Helm: What To Expect From The EU's Next Presidency

Zelenskiy did not express his opinion on the proposal during the briefing with reporters, but a spokesman for the president said later on July 2 that Zelenskiy gave Orban an opportunity to air his thoughts.

Zelenskiy said after Orban's arrival in Moscow that the visit was "without agreement" of any kind from Kyiv.

Putin, who has denied Ukrainian nationhood and history, has said conditions for ending the war, which has killed and wounded more than 500,000 people on both sides, include Kyiv renouncing any NATO hopes and ceding Crimea and four other occupied regions of Ukraine.

Zelenskiy has insisted its territorial integrity -- backed in multiple UN votes and a Ukrainian-initiated Global Peace Summit in Switzerland last month -- must be the foundation of any peace deal.

After word leaked on July 4 of Orban's planned visit, European Council President Charles Michel said "the EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU."

"The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine," Michel added.

Orban last visited Moscow in September 2022, when he paid his respects at the funeral of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

The wife of imprisoned Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza says he was transferred from a maximum security prison facility to a prison hospital late on June 4. Yevgenia Kara-Murza said her 42-year-old husband's lawyers were not allowed to see him. She said he was sent "from the maximum security penal colony IK-6 in Omsk to the FKLPU Regional Hospital 11 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Omsk Oblast." Kara-Murza, who has survived two serious bouts with illness that were consistent with poisoning, holds Russian and British passports. He was initially arrested in April 2022 after returning from abroad and charged with disobeying a police officer but was later charged with discrediting the Russian military and treason over remarks he made about Kremlin policies. In April 2023, he was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

At least three people were killed and eight others including two policemen injured in an explosion in Pakistan’s northwestern Mardan district on July 5. District police chief Zahoor Afridi told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that an improvised explosive device had been detonated near a bridge around the time a police van was passing. An emergency services spokesperson said the casualties included women and children. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen an increase in deadly attacks in the past two years mostly remained unclaimed while some of them claimed by the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan. Residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have protested against the lack of security provided by Islamabad and against the actions of extremists. Pakistani security forces have said they have been conducting targeted operations against militants in several parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, click here.

The wife of an Iranian-Swedish academic condemned to death in Iran says he has ended a hunger strike eight days after launching the protest at his being left out of a prisoner swap between Tehran and Stockholm.

Vida Mehrannia told RFE/RL's Radio Farda on July 5 that her husband, Ahmadreza Djalali, accepted calls to end his hunger strike as he was suffering from "severe" weakness, heart and blood-pressure issues, and "severe stomach problems" made worse by previous hunger strikes.

Last month, Sweden released former Iranian prison official Hamid Nouri in exchange for Swedish citizens Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi.

Djalali, who was detained in 2016 and subsequently sentenced to death for allegedly spying for Israel, was not part of the exchange.

He has denied all the charges against him.

Mehrannia has said the Swedish government's explanations for not including him are not "convincing."

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on June 25 that his government’s only options were to bring Floderus and Azizi back or walk away from the talks.

Djalali appears to be the longest-held dual citizen held in Iranian custody.

His wife accuses Tehran of holding him to “pressure” European states to release Iranian prisoners.

Last month's prisoner swap deal has been widely condemned by rights groups and activists because Nouri was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in Iran in 1988.

At least eight other European citizens are currently held in Iran, including Jamshid Sharmahd, a German citizen of Iranian descent sentenced to death.

A Bosnian man arrested in connection with the audacious escape of Russian businessman Artyom Uss from Italian arrest has been released and is now cooperating with Italian investigators.

U.S. prosecutors, meanwhile, have for now dropped their extradition request against the man, Vladimir Jovancic, who also faces a U.S. indictment for aiding Uss's March 2023 escape.

Jovancic's release from Croatian detention, and the halt to U.S. extradition proceedings, neither of which has been reported previously, are small but significant developments in the continuing investigation of how Uss -- the politically connected son of a powerful Russian governor -- managed to slip out of Italy on the eve of his extradition to the United States.

Uss had been arrested by Italy after being charged by the U.S. Justice Department with overseeing an elaborate smuggling network that had secretly shipped Western military technology to Russia -- some of which had ended up on Ukrainian battlefields.

His escape embarrassed Italian authorities and prompted criticism from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said there had been "anomalies" in the decisions that ultimately led to Uss's escape.

Jovancic, a 53-year-old national of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is one of eight people that Italian prosecutors have charged in connection with Uss's escape.

He was arrested in December 2023 in Zagreb after U.S. prosecutors secured a grand jury indictment of him in connection with the escape.

Since then, Jovancic has been cooperating with Italian prosecutors, providing testimony on at least two occasions.

Sometime late last month, however, Jovancic was released from Croatian detention and was extradited to Italy after reaching a plea agreement, his Croatian lawyer Gordan Preglej, told RFE/RL. The conditions of the deal require his cooperation with Italian officials and three years of community service, Preglej said.

His release also included the agreement by U.S. prosecutors to halt extradition proceedings.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York confirmed that Jovancic's extradition had been halted, but said the charges remain in place.

A spokesman for the Milan prosecutors' office, which has been leading the Italian investigation, declined comment.

Where Is Uss?

Uss, whose father was the governor of the sprawling Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk and an ally of President Vladimir Putin, slipped out of house arrest in a suburb of Milan on March 22, 2023, after disrupting the signal transmitted from a court-ordered electronic monitoring bracelet.

He and the people who aided him then drove east, across Slovenia, Croatia, and into Serbia. He later flew back to Krasnoyarsk.

Italian authorities have cast a wide net across Europe, trying to identify and arrest the people involved in the escape.

In addition to Jovancic, others who have been arrested or detained include his son, Boris, who is believed to be in Italian custody; and a Slovenian man arrested in Ljubljana.

The Ljubljana District Court told RFE/RL that that man, Matej Janezic, had been been released from custody, and extradited to Italy.

Italian officials have also charged an obscure Serbian businessman named Srdjan Lolic.

Roughly three weeks after he allegedly helped Uss flee Italy, Lolic traveled to the North Pole, via Krasnoyarsk, accompanying a top Krasnoyarsk government official, and other Russian officials. Not known as a polar explorer, Lolic claimed to have been the first Serb to have reached the North Pole.

Lolic's whereabouts are currently unknown. But Italian court documents show he has provided written testimony to Italian prosecutors about the people who helped Uss escape.

Some of that testimony appears to have helped in the latest arrest announced by Italian officials on June 14: Dmitry Chirakadze, a Russian businessman who lives in Switzerland and controls a Sardinian hotel linked to Uss.

Chirakadze, who was arrested as he arrived at Rome's Fiumicino airport, has been fighting a court detention order, according to his defense lawyer.

Italian authorities have also charged Uss's wife, Maria Yagodina, in connection with the plot.

Both she and Uss are believed in Russia, possibly Krasnoyarsk. In comments to Russian media following Chirakadze's arrest, Uss confirmed his business ties to Chirakadze and alleged the arrest was a "PR move" by Western officials.

The United States has offered a $7 million reward for information leading to Uss escape.

RFE/RL Russian Service correspondents Mark Krutov and Sergei Dobrynin, and RFE/RL enterprise editor Carl Schreck contributed to this report.

Ukraine's national power distributor Ukrenerho on July 5 announced a "tougher" schedule of rolling blackouts across the country as it tries to cope with damage to infrastructure inflicted by Russian bombardments in its 28-month-old full-scale invasion.

It said two rounds of hourly shutdowns between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. will increase to three rounds during "the rest of the day."

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

It said the changes mean "approximately half of consumers will be without light at the same time."

Russia has increasingly targeted infrastructure in missile and drone attacks in recent months, although it has denied widespread evidence it is also targeting Ukrainian civilians.

Ukrenerho had increased the use of rolling blackouts to consumers as recently as last month, but said electricity supplies for critical infrastructure would not be restricted.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy told senior military officials in June that he hoped to develop a renewable energy infrastructure in response to the attacks, so that "solar panels, smart meters, and energy storage facilities should appear in every school and hospital as soon as possible."

As the stepped-up Russian air attacks on power and cities, Ukrainian drones have struck deeper inside Russia, damaging energy facilities critical for Moscow's military effort, mainly oil installations.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed on July 5 that it thwarted a Ukrainian-ordered "criminal" attack on a defense facility in the Samara region of southwest Russia, although RFE/RL could not independently confirm the incident.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had destroyed 50 Ukrainian attack drones over Russia's Krasnodar and Rostov regions and in the occupied Zaporizhzhya region of Ukraine.

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Although outgunned, Ukraine has also waged a surprisingly effective naval campaign on the shared Black Sea over the course of the war.

On July 5, the commander of Ukraine's navy, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, told Reuters that Russia had been forced to relocate "almost all" of its combat-capable ships from occupied Crimea to other locations. He said Russia's main naval center was being rendered "ineffective" as a result of Ukrainian efforts.

But Russian forces have made gradual territorial gains over the past six months, including capturing a district in the strategically important highland town of Chasiv Yar in the eastern Donetsk region.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP

A triumphant Keir Starmer announced in London early on July 5 that "change begins now," after his Labour Party scored a landslide victory to end 14 years of Conservative government in the United Kingdom's general elections a day earlier.

But while new Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his center-left party have pledged a fresh approach to British economic woes and a cost-of-living crisis at home, they have signaled no dramatic break with the outgoing government's policy of robust military and diplomatic support for Ukraine in its ongoing war to defeat Russian invaders.

In a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden hours after taking office, Starmer said U.K. backing for Ukraine's war effort would not be weakened under the new government.

"The leaders reiterated their steadfast commitment to Ukraine, and the prime minister underscored that the U.K.'s support for Ukraine was unwavering," Starmer's office said in a statement.

The two men "reiterated their continued support for Ukraine as it fights Russia’s unrelenting aggression," the White House said in a separate readout.

While Labour has hinted at a more conciliatory tone than its Conservative predecessor in relations with the European Union, the party has gone to lengths to reassure NATO and other allies helping arm Kyiv that London will continue to regard Russia as a threat to Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was quick to welcome the continuity in a message of thanks to the outgoing Conservatives and congratulations to the incoming Labour government for its "convincing election victory."

"Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order."

He wished Starmer well in "solidifying the U.K.'s leadership on the world stage."

"I look forward to working closely together on strengthening the Ukraine-U.K. partnership and restoring international peace and security," Zelenskiy added.

"A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility," Starmer, who took over Labour's leadership four years ago, told supporters after the party's victory was assured.

At around noon local time at Buckingham Palace, King Charles III formally launched the 61-year-old former lawyer's tenure as prime minister by asking him to form a government.

Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was a strong backer of NATO and other international assistance for Ukraine including the supply of weaponry.

Zelenskiy expressed gratitude in his message to Sunak and his government's "steadfast support" and "shared achievements," including the supplies of tanks, Storm Shadow missiles, F-16 training for our pilots, and the first bilateral security cooperation agreement" after Russia's invasion began.

David Lammy, who was officially appointed on July 5 as foreign secretary in Starmer's Labour government, predicted Labour's return to power will usher in a foreign policy of "progressive realism."

He has said it is time to "turn the page on 14 years of Tory chaos."

But the resets in foreign policy that Lammy has touted among Labour's goals involve reconnecting with Europe to repair some of the damage since Brexit, addressing climate change, and engaging more aggressively with the Global South.

On defense, Starmer and Labour have described their commitment to NATO's foremost role in transatlantic security as "unshakable."

On Ukraine, Labour has pledged "steadfast" military, financial, diplomatic, and political support. Labour's manifesto also calls for helping lay out a path for Ukraine toward NATO membership.

Olivia O'Sullivan, director of the U.K. In The World Program at Chatham House, a London-based think tank, told RFE/RL that "there are many ways in which the foreign policy positions of the Labour Party are not that distinct from the Conservatives," calling it "one surprising area of consensus in the U.K."

"Particularly on Ukraine, the Labour Party have been at pains to emphasize that they are as staunch and as consistent in their support for Ukraine," O'Sullivan said. "There's very little daylight between their position and [that of] the Conservatives."

The woman who is expected to assume the EU's top diplomatic post later this year, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, congratulated Starmer on his electoral victory and praised "the U.K.'s commitment to our common security."

"I'm sure our excellent cooperation will only continue to thrive," she added on X.

Starmer has hinted that he would meet early in his leadership with Zelenskiy, and he has described Russian President Vladimir Putin as "the aggressor in Ukraine."

"The most important thing is to be absolutely clear that our support for Ukraine is on a united front in this country," Starmer said.

Starmer's new government will immediately have a chance to test that intention at NATO's 75th anniversary summit in Washington on July 9-11.

Soon after, Britain will host a European Political Community Summit at Blenheim Palace on July 18.

"I think one of their goals for both of those events...will be to affirm that they're taking a very similar line through the previous government on Ukraine and on support for Ukraine," O'Sullivan said.

She said Starmer's challenges include fiscal restrictions and looming elections in France and the United States, either of which could deal blows to transatlantic unity.

Analysts say British voters turned to Labour seeking relief from a 14-year Conservative tenure marked by the Brexit vote in 2016 to leave the European Union and economic woes and stagnation that have followed the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Labour eclipsed the 326 seats needed for a working majority in the House of Commons early in the vote count that showed it gaining well over 200 seats as the Conservatives lost an even higher number of seats.

Right-wing populist Reform Party leader Nigel Farage won a seat for the first time in eight attempts, indicating that Britain was experiencing some of the right-wing surge that showed up in last month's elections to the European Parliament.

Voting hours were extended three times before closing at midnight in Iran on July 5 in a runoff presidential election being held after no candidate secured enough votes to be declared the outright winner of the June 28 vote, which saw a record-low turnout

Polling stations were scheduled to close at 6 p.m. local time. However, voting was initially extended to 8 p.m., then to 10 p.m., then a third time to midnight. Voting hours are often extended in Iranian elections.

At midnight, state TV said polling stations had officially closed but that voters inside would still be able to drop off ballots.

Initial results are likely to come out shortly after voting ends, with final results scheduled to be announced on July 6.

The election, which was triggered by the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May, has come down to a choice between the reformist veteran lawmaker Masud Pezeshkian and hard-line former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili.

It comes at a time when Iranians are contending with a lack of freedoms, declining living standards, and a faltering economy.

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Reformist And Hard-Liner In Iranian Presidential Election Runoff Amid Record-Low Voter Turnout

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Jalili serves as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s personal representative on the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC). He was the SNSC’s secretary between 2007 and 2013, during which time he led the Iranian delegation in failed talks with the West on Tehran’s nuclear program.

He represents the hard-line part of the conservative camp and has never held elected office.

Pezeshkian has been a member of parliament since 2008 and served as deputy speaker between 2016 and 2020, when moderates and reformists had a majority in the legislature.

He has questioned Iran’s methods of enforcing the hijab, or Islamic head scarf for women, and spoken in favor of negotiating with the West.

But he also supports the principles of the Islamic republic and says he will follow Khamenei’s policies if elected.

SEE ALSO:

Who Is Masud Pezeshkian, The Surprise Front-Runner In Iran's Presidential Vote?

The outcome of the election is unlikely to result in major policy shifts, but it could have an impact on the succession to the 85-year-old Khamenei, who has been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989.

The first round of voting saw a record-low turnout of 39.9 percent, despite calls by Khamenei for a high voter participation to project an image of a strong Iran where its people back the political establishment.

Khamenei reiterated that message on July 3, when he acknowledged that first-round turnout was "not as expected" but denied the lack of voter interest reflected unpopularity for Iran's leadership.

He called the vote "very important," adding, "Those who love Islam and the Islamic republic and the progress of the country must show it by taking part in the election."

SEE ALSO:

Who Is Saeed Jalili, The Hard-Line Candidate In Iran's Runoff Vote For President?

Khamenei, who has the final say on all official matters in Iran, cast his vote at a mobile polling station at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran in the first minutes after voting started on July 5.

"I've heard that people's enthusiasm and interest are higher than in the first round," Khamenei said. "May God make it this way as this will be gratifying news."

One man who asked not to be identified told RFE/RL he did not participate in the first round of voting but that he cast a ballot for Pezeshkian in this round.

Sepideh, a 19-year-old university student in Tehran, told Reuters: "I will not vote. This is a big NO to the Islamic Republic because of Mahsa [Amini]. I want a free country, I want a free life."

The 2022 death in custody of Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman, sparked massive street protests throughout Iran, leading to a brutal crackdown by authorities.

The Islamic republic has long maintained it derives its legitimacy from strong voter turnout, but poor participation in recent elections and deadly antiestablishment protests have challenged the legitimacy of the current leadership.

Pezeshkian finished the first round with 10.5 million votes, above Jalili’s 9.5 million. But he also benefited from the splitting of the conservative vote, with 3.4 million votes going to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf who has since endorsed Jalili.

However, there is no guarantee that all of Qalibaf’s votes will swing to Jalili since they represent vastly different groups in the highly factionalized conservative camp.

SEE ALSO:

To Vote Or Not To Vote? Iranians Mull Continuing Presidential Election Boycott

Pezeshkian’s campaign has been trying to increase turnout by convincing people who boycotted the first round to vote in the runoff. His supporters have sought to highlight what they see as the dangers of a hard-line figure like Jalili coming to power, arguing that his administration will enact repressive policies and further isolate Iran.

Jalili's supporters have portrayed Pezeshkian as a man who is soft on the West and will make Iranian progress dependent on good relations with Western nations.

Dissidents have urged the public to continue their boycott of the vote, insisting that elections in Iran are neither free nor fair and that past votes have failed to instigate change since ultimate power lies with Khamenei.

Raisi, who many Iranians refer to as the "Butcher of Tehran" for his alleged role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988 when he was Tehran's deputy prosecutor, died along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other officials when their helicopter crashed on May 19.

Russian Colonel Artyom Gorodilov, who is under U.S. sanctions due to suspected involvement in war crimes in Ukraine, has been detained in Russia on allegations of conducting large-scale fraud, Russian media reported on July 4. Specific details of the charges remain unclear. Since 2019, Gorodilov has been the commander of the 234th Airborne Assault Regiment, which was deployed to Bucha, Ukraine, during Russia’s full-scale invasion. Russian forces were blamed for the massacre of hundreds of civilians in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv. The U.S. State Department sanctioned Gorodilov for what it said was “his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely extrajudicial killings" in Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service click here.

Labor activist Sharifeh Mohammadi has been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in the northern city of Rasht, rights groups told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda on July 4, a move her supporters have labeled "medieval and criminal."

The court said the woman been convicted on charges of "armed rebellion against the state" and included as evidence her membership in an independent labor organization.

She was also accused of being a member of the banned Komala Kurdish separatist party, which the family denied.

The Norway-based Hengaw and U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency also reported on Mohammadi’s death sentence.

The Campaign for the Defense of Sharifeh Mohammadi described the labor organization -- the Coordination Committee for Helping to Establish Labor Organizations -- as legal but said that, in any case, she had not been a member for 10 years.

The Defense Campaign called the court verdict against her "medieval and criminal."

“Many believe that this ridiculous and baseless verdict was issued solely to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among Gilan [Province] activists,” the group said.

Mohammadi’s aunt, Vida Mohammadi, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the woman has been tortured in prison following her arrest on December 5, 2023, and that she had spent several months in solitary confinement.

Vida Mohammadi said Sharifeh Mohammadi was not affiliated with any political organization inside or outside the country.

The Hengaw rights watchdog said Mohammadi "endured mental and physical torture at the hands of Iranian Intelligence interrogators...who sought to extract a forced confession from her."

The U.S.-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, which focuses on Iranian issues, said the death sentence was linked to "her involvement with an independent labor union."

"This extreme ruling highlights the harsh crackdown on dissent within Iran, particularly against labor activists amid economic turmoil," it said.

SEE ALSO:

Prison Sentences Of Iranian Women's Rights Activists Upheld On Appeal

Major protests erupted in Gilan Province and throughout the country in 2022 following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman who had been detained for allegedly flouting Iran's strict dress code for women.

More than 500 protesters were killed nationwide and thousands arrested during the months of unrest.

Domestic and International rights activists have accused Tehran of using the death penalty to intimidate protesters and others following the mass demonstrations.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Iran “remains one of the world’s top practitioners of the death penalty, applying it to individuals convicted of crimes committed as children and under vague national security charges; occasionally, it is also used for nonviolent offenses.”

Poland hopes to bring in border guards and police from Finland, Germany, and Greece to help patrol its frontier with Belarus, a senior official said on July 4, amid mounting concerns over migration pressures from the east into Europe. "Preparations are underway and these are countries that are very experienced in border protection. Especially, for example, Greek experiences can be very useful," a senior government official told reporters. The border between Poland and Belarus has become a flashpoint as Western officials accuse the government in Minsk of using migrants it brings from in from outside of Europe as "hybrid warfare."

Kazakh activist Abzal Dostiyarov was summoned by police on July 4 amid pressure being applied on rights activists during the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Astana. After Dostiyarov departed police headquarters, a spokesman confirmed to RFE/RL that he had been summoned for a "preventive conversation." Right activists have been under pressure since July 2 after many demanded Kazakh officials arrange the repatriation and burial with honors of opposition activist and journalist Aidos Sadyqov, who died in Kyiv on July 1 after being shot 13 days earlier in the Ukrainian capital. Ukraine named two Kazakh men as suspects. Kazakh officials said they were ready to cooperate with Kyiv in the investigation but refused the extradition of the two to Ukraine, arguing that Kazakh law doesn't permit it. Dostiyarov and others said they were planning a tribute to Sadyqov. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.

A Moscow court has sentenced U.S. citizen Robert Woodland to 12 1/2 years in a maximum-security penal colony after finding him guilty of the attempted sale of illegal drugs, the court press service reported on July 4. Woodland, a Russian-born man who was adopted by American parents as a child, was arrested by Russian police in January on charges of drug possession. At the time of his arrest, Woodland had reportedly been working as an English teacher outside Moscow. Court documents identified him by his Russian surname, Romanov, but it was not clear whether he had Russian citizenship. The Interfax news agency said he was a Russian citizen. More than 10 U.S. citizens are being held in Russian jails and prisons, accused or convicted on charges ranging from drug possession and theft to treason and espionage. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.

Apple has removed from the Russian unit of its App Store several VPN services used to bypass blocking efforts by the Kremlin, Russian media outlets and VPN services reported on July 4. The U.S.-based Red Shield VPN said Apple removed its app at the request of Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media watchdog. “We encourage journalists and human rights organizations to publish information and submit requests to Apple about it,” Red Shield said in a tweet. Roskomnadzor has suppressed dozens of VPN services in the country that can be used to access media and social networks blocked by Russian authorities. VPN use in Russia has increased significantly following the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and a subsequent crackdown on media access and independent voices in the country. VPNs, or virtual private networks, allow users to mask the area or country they are in, thereby allowing them to circumvent local Internet restrictions.To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.

BUDAPEST -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will travel to Moscow on July 5 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, days after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv, a Hungarian government source told RFE/RL.

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will also accompany Orban to the Kremlin, the government source said on July 4. Szijjarto has visited Russia more than five times since Moscow invaded Ukraine more than two years ago.

News of the Moscow visit comes days after Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the European Union -- an action that raised concerns among many in the EU because of Orban’s regular pro-Russia statements – and elicited quick condemnation from leaders of the bloc.

Charles Michel, president of the European Council, posted on X that “the EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.”

“The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine,” Michel added.

An EU official who asked not to be identified told RFE/RL that Orban has not informed the bloc of any planned trip to Moscow.

If Orban would have asked, Michel would have strongly advised against such a visit, the official said.

Since Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Orban has stood out among leaders from the European Union and NATO for his reluctance to sign onto massive Western weapons and aid packages for Ukraine.

Central European investigative editor Szabolcs Panyi first reported on the trip in a post on X. RFE/RL later received confirmation of the visit via a Hungarian government source.

The Hungarian prime minister's press office has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Last month, Putin said Russia would end its war -- which is believed to have killed and wounded at least 500,000 soldiers on both sides -- only if Kyiv met certain conditions.

Those included renouncing its NATO ambitions and ceding four partially occupied regions that Russia claims in their entirety, in addition to Crimea.

Ukraine dismissed the conditions as absurd and said they amounted to capitulation.

While in Kyiv, Orban -- who maintains close relations with Putin -- said he presented Zelenskiy with a cease-fire proposal aimed at pausing fighting with Russia more than two years into Moscow’s full-scale invasion.

SEE ALSO:

Hungary's Orban Presents Zelenskiy With Cease-Fire Proposal On First Visit To Kyiv

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Zelenskiy, Orban gave no details about the contents of the proposal but said he asked the Ukrainian president "whether it was possible to take a break, to stop the firing, and then continue the negotiations,” adding that a cease-fire "could ensure speeding up the pace of these negotiations."

The talks were notable because of Orban’s vocal, persistent criticism of Western military aid for Kyiv.

Zelenskiy did not express his opinion on the proposal during the briefing with reporters, but a spokesman for the president said later on July 2 that Zelenskiy gave Orban an opportunity to air his thoughts.

Ihor Zhovkva, Zelenskiy's deputy chief of staff, also said Hungary was not the first country to come forward with a potential peace plan.

Zhovkva said Zelenskiy listened to Orban's proposal but stated Ukraine's "quite clear, understandable, and known" position in response.

Ukraine says its "territorial integrity" must be the foundation of any peace agreement -- a notion underscored by 80 countries that participated in the Ukrainian-initiated Global Peace Summit in Switzerland last month.

Orban last visited Moscow in September 2022, when he paid his respects at the funeral of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.

RFE/RL's Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak contributed to this report.

Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported on July 4 that Anatoly Antonov, Russia's ambassador to the United States, has indicated that his assignment is ending soon amid a time of high tensions between Moscow and Washington. Kommersant reported that Antonov included a handwritten note on an unrelated document dated June 29, stating “My assignment is coming to an end. I hope together we will continue to defend the interests of our Fatherland!" The Russian Foreign Ministry declined to comment, according to Reuters. Antonov was appointed as the Kremlin’s envoy in Washington by President Vladimir Putin in August 2017.

A severe heatwave continued to batter Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi for a third week, filling hospitals with patients and morgues with bodies, officials and rescuers said on July 4. More than 50 people have died so far due to heatstroke since the start of the latest wave last month, police spokeswoman Summiya Syed said. Dozens of new victims were brought to the city’s largest Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on July 3, the hospital’s spokesman Hassan Ali told the dpa news agency. The heat index -- a combination of the temperature and humidity -- rose to 55 degrees Celsius on July 3, the highest level ever recorded in the coastal city of more than 20 million people, chief meteorologist Sardar Sarfraz said.

The government of the majority-Serb entity that makes up half of Bosnia-Herzegovina has deleted the term "gender identity" in draft amendments to the region's Criminal Code, indicating a hardening stance on LGBT causes and a further digression from central government authority in the post-Yugoslav state. Officials announced the change following a government session in Banja Luka on July 4. They said it was aimed at harmonizing the Criminal Code "with provisions of the Constitution of Republika Srpska," whose leadership, especially the entity's President Milorad Dodik, have threatened to try to secede from the rest of Bosnia, which also comprises a Bosniak and Croat federation. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, click here.

The Kremlin said on July 4 that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on July 8-9 and hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit was first announced by Russian officials last month, but the dates have not been previously disclosed. Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New Delhi’s importance as a key trade partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Under Modi’s leadership, India has avoided condemning Russia’s action in Ukraine while emphasizing the need for a peaceful settlement. Modi last visited Russia in 2019.