and also from tehran is mostafa khoshchesm, a journalist and iran affairs analyst. you so much for joining us on "inside story." mohammad marandi, we don't want to speculate as to who the winner will be of this presidential race. so first, set the scene up for us. tell us what the mood is like in tehran, as this election unfolds and voting takes place. >> well, despite the fact that the coronavirus in iran is still a problem, we have to keep in mind that thanks to u.s. sanctions, it's been very difficult for the government to keep it under control. but despite that, it seems that voting across the country is pretty brisk, the turnout seems to be above 50%, 55%, and it would seem that the front runner, mr. raisi, will easily win the election. that's what polls seem to indicate. so at the moment, that is how things stand, from my understanding. dareen: mostafa khoshchesm, how important is the selection for -- is this election for iran? >> well, it is pretty much important, because for the past eight years, iran, under president rouhani, has been trying hard to resolve