In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of late leader of the country Ayatollah Khomeini at his shrine in Tehran, Iran, Monday, June 3, 2024. Khamenei Monday said Israel is melting down due to its war against Hamas in Gaza. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Iran’s supreme leader is calling for “maximum” voter turnout in Friday’s presidential election to “overcome the enemy.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the comments in a speech Tuesday marking the Shiite holiday of Eid al-Ghadir.
He drew repeated calls from onlookers of “Death to America! Death to Israel!”
Friday’s election comes after a May helicopter crash that killed Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, a protégé of Khamenei.
The call comes after a parliamentary election that saw a record low turnout earlier this year.
