Saeed Jalili, a hard-line former negotiator known as a 'true believer,' seeks Iran's presidency

Saeed Jalili is on the precipice of being elected as Iran’s next president as he faces a runoff election Friday against the little-known reform candidate Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon. With Iran’s nuclear program enriching uranium at levels near-weapons grade, a win by Jalili may again see already-stalled negotiations freeze. Meanwhile, Jalili’s own hard-line vision for Iran — derided by opponents as being in the style of the Taliban — potentially risks inflaming a public still angry after the bloody security force crackdown that followed the demonstrations over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini.