Iranian presidential race too close to call

IRANIANS packed polling stations yesterday in a tight presidential race between a well-known cleric, the default choice for reformists, and a hard-liner seeking to reclaim the values of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The run-off election capped weeks of campaigning that came down to a choice over sharply differing visions for the future of Iran and options for expanding relations with the West. First returns were expected late last night.

The narrow winner last week, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, has received a flood of support from progressive and business groups seeking to protect the liberalising reforms since the late 1990s.