Critics say Iran presidential election runoff not competitive despite uncertainty about likely victor

Washington — As Iran stages a presidential election runoff on Friday, its critics say the West should not interpret uncertainty about the likely victor as an indication of a democratic contest between two competing loyalists of the Islamic republic’s supreme leader. Friday’s vote pits ultraconservative former Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili against the relatively moderate former Health Minister Masoud Pezeshkian. Official results from the June 28 first-round vote gave Pezeshkian 44% of the vote...