Polls close, vote counting underway in Iran

Vote counting is underway in the Islamic Republic of Iran after polls closed in a presidential election that saw four candidates, including incumbent Hassan Rouhani, competing for the post.

The polls closed at 24:00 local time (1930 GMT) on Friday after voting hours were extended several times. More than 56 million people were eligible to vote in the election. Preliminary results are expected to trickle in throughout the next hours.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who cast his vote immediately after the polls opened, said, "Everyone should vote in this important election."

The 5th Islamic City and Village Council Elections were also held across Tehran on Friday.

SS