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Iranians streamed to polling stations on Friday in a bitterly fought election which pits hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against a former prime minister who wants a thaw in ties with the West.
Four candidates are standing in the poll but Ahmadinejad's strongest challenger appears to be the moderate Mirhossein Mousavi, whose supporters have paraded through the capital Tehran in their thousands to demonstrate their backing.
A victory for Mousavi might help ease tensions with the West, which is concerned about Tehran's nuclear ambitions, and improve chances of engagement with U.S. President Barak Obama who has talked about a new start in ties with Tehran.
For Iranians the election is a chance to pass judgment on Ahmadinejad's four years in office, particularly his management of the Islamic Republic's oil exporting economy, which is suffering from high inflation and unemployment.
Voting started at 8 a.m. (0330 GMT) and is due to end 10 hours later, although hours are likely to be extended as officials expect a high turnout from 46 million eligible voters.
Preliminary results are expected early on Saturday. Analysts expect a close race between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi, which may go to a run-off on June 19.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's top authority, urged people to turn out for the election as he cast his ballot.
"Everybody go and everybody vote and act based on their judgment," Khamenei said in comments broadcast live.
State television, showing live footage of people queuing at a Tehran polling station, said a record turnout was expected. A Reuters reporter saw long lines of voters in eastern Tehran, where men and women waited patiently in separate queues.
A high turnout could indicate the participation of many pro-reformers who stayed away when Ahmadinejad won a surprise victory four years ago on a pledge to revive the values of the 1979 Islamic revolution.
"Mousavi's chance would be to get them out and get support from those people who boycotted before," an Iranian analyst who declined to be named said.
"BRIGHT FUTURE"
Although Ahmadinejad says his government has revived economic growth and curbed price rises, the economy was the primary campaign issue. Official inflation is around 15 percent.
Social issues, such as strict dress codes for women, as well as Iran's ties with the outside world, also featured in the campaign but the outcome of the vote will not bring a major shift in Iran's foreign policy, which is determined by Khamenei.
"People's strong, revolutionary and clear decision will bring about a bright future for the nation," Ahmadinejad, a self-styled champion of the poor with strong support in rural areas, said while voting in a working class part of southeast Tehran.
Four candidates are standing in the poll but Ahmadinejad's strongest challenger appears to be the moderate Mirhossein Mousavi, whose supporters have paraded through the capital Tehran in their thousands to demonstrate their backing.
A victory for Mousavi might help ease tensions with the West, which is concerned about Tehran's nuclear ambitions, and improve chances of engagement with U.S. President Barak Obama who has talked about a new start in ties with Tehran.
For Iranians the election is a chance to pass judgment on Ahmadinejad's four years in office, particularly his management of the Islamic Republic's oil exporting economy, which is suffering from high inflation and unemployment.
Voting started at 8 a.m. (0330 GMT) and is due to end 10 hours later, although hours are likely to be extended as officials expect a high turnout from 46 million eligible voters.
Preliminary results are expected early on Saturday. Analysts expect a close race between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi, which may go to a run-off on June 19.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's top authority, urged people to turn out for the election as he cast his ballot.
"Everybody go and everybody vote and act based on their judgment," Khamenei said in comments broadcast live.
State television, showing live footage of people queuing at a Tehran polling station, said a record turnout was expected. A Reuters reporter saw long lines of voters in eastern Tehran, where men and women waited patiently in separate queues.
A high turnout could indicate the participation of many pro-reformers who stayed away when Ahmadinejad won a surprise victory four years ago on a pledge to revive the values of the 1979 Islamic revolution.
"Mousavi's chance would be to get them out and get support from those people who boycotted before," an Iranian analyst who declined to be named said.
"BRIGHT FUTURE"
Although Ahmadinejad says his government has revived economic growth and curbed price rises, the economy was the primary campaign issue. Official inflation is around 15 percent.
Social issues, such as strict dress codes for women, as well as Iran's ties with the outside world, also featured in the campaign but the outcome of the vote will not bring a major shift in Iran's foreign policy, which is determined by Khamenei.
"People's strong, revolutionary and clear decision will bring about a bright future for the nation," Ahmadinejad, a self-styled champion of the poor with strong support in rural areas, said while voting in a working class part of southeast Tehran.
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