Shafaq News/ Presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian continues to lead the Iranian elections after counting more than 19 million votes on Saturday, followed by Saeed Jalili.

The Iranian Interior Ministry announced that Pezeshkian remains in the lead, followed by Jalili, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Mostafa Mir-Salim.

The Interior Ministry provided the following updated results of the counted votes:

- Total valid and invalid votes amounted to 19,062,013.

-Masoud Pezeshkian: 8,302,577 votes

-Saeed Jalili: 7,189,756 votes

-Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf: 2,676,512 votes

-Mostafa Mir-Salim: 158,314 votes

If these figures remain unchanged, a runoff election between the two top candidates on July 5 will decide the country's next president, as the winner must secure at least 50% of the votes.

Polls closed at about midnight local time (20:30 GMT) on Friday after a series of extensions to allow more people to vote, with Iranian officials pushing for a high turnout.

Pezeshkian is the sole comparative centrist; he is faithful to Iran's theocratic rule but advocates for detente with the West, economic reform, social liberalization, and political pluralism.

Almost 40% of eligible voters, around 24 million people, cast their ballots in Iran's presidential election, according to unofficial figures.

The next president is not expected to usher in any significant policy changes regarding the country's nuclear program or support for military groups across the Middle East, as Sayyed Khamenei holds authority over top state matters. However, the president runs the government and can influence the tone of foreign and domestic policy.