Iranians are voting today to choose a new president after their previous president, Ebrahim Raisi, died in a helicopter crash last month. However, many people in Iran are not very interested in this election. They have been unhappy for a long time because of problems with the economy, big protests, and tensions in the Middle East.
The voters have two main choices: some candidates who are very strict in their beliefs and another candidate who is not well-known but wants to change Iran’s religious government slowly from inside. Since 1979, when the Islamic Revolution happened, women and people who want big changes have not been allowed to run for office. Also, there will be no international monitors to check if the election is fair.
At the same time, there is a lot of tension in the Middle East because of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. In April, Iran attacked Israel directly for the first time because of this war. Groups that Iran supports in the Middle East, like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen, are also fighting and making their attacks stronger.
