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Iran's interior minister said President Hassan Rohani -- seen casting his ballot on May 19 -- won reelection with around 57 percent of the vote, easily avoiding a runoff.
Iran's interior minister said President Hassan Rohani -- seen casting his ballot on May 19 -- won reelection with around 57 percent of the vote, easily avoiding a runoff.

Live Blog: Rohani Declared Winner Of Iran Vote

Updated

-- Iranian officials have declared President Hassan Rohani winner of the May 19 vote with around 57 percent of ballots, easily avoiding a runoff against conservative former prosecutor Ebrahim Raisi, who was said to have received about 38.5 percent of votes cast.

-- In a victory speech, Rohani said the Iranian people were the "real victors" of the election and that Iran had chosen "engagement with the world" in voting for him, rejecting extremism. But as Rohani knows very well, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds ultimate political, military, and religious power in Iran, and can easily derail a campaign or thwart the plans of a president.

-- Six men were approved to run by the Guardians Council from more than 1,600 applicants, but it quickly boiled down to a two-man race between Raisi and Rohani, an establishment veteran who oversaw a breakthrough nuclear deal with world powers to ease sanctions and pushed for engagement with the West and greater openness for Iranians.

-- Raisi has long been talked about as a possible successor to Khamenei, and it's unclear what effect a landslide loss might have on his political ambitions.

*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Tehran (GMT +4 1/2)

07:32 20.5.2017

Iranian reformist lawmaker Mahmoud Sadeghi says in a residential area where IRGC members and their family live, Rouhani got 700 votes, Raisi 300.

07:04 20.5.2017

President Rohani looks set for a second term.

06:53 20.5.2017

This tweet and graphic by the supporters of Hassan Rohani says: "The morning of hope has dawned." Purple is the color of Rohani's campaign.

06:43 20.5.2017

The supporters of President Hassan Rohani are already celebrating on social media:

06:42 20.5.2017

Final results will be announced at 2 pm local time.

06:41 20.5.2017

So the interior ministry made a new announcement about the preliminary results of the vote count:

06:28 20.5.2017

Here is a fresh tweet by Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who says Iranians must be respected:

06:26 20.5.2017

Iran"s Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri congratulates all Iranians on "the big victory" of the Iranian nation in creating a "memorable epic" to continue on [on the path of hope and moderation." " He also appears to imply that President Rohani has received 24 million votes.

06:19 20.5.2017

It's still very early, and final figures could eventually vary significantly from what we're seeing now, but some folks are already turning their attention to the true prize on the Iranian political scene, the supreme leader's post. That person, currently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is 77 and said to be in flagging health, and Raisi has been whispered to be a contender to succeed him in the future.

So what would a trouncing in this election mean for Raisi's potential bid to become supreme leader?

Here's one answer:

06:17 20.5.2017

Votes being counted in the U.S. Reports appeared to suggest that many Iranians voted outside the country.

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