Hardliner Captures Iranian Presidency

By Scott Simon,

Ivan Watson

Published June 24, 2005 at 11:00 PM CDT

The mayor of Tehran -- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- has won Iran's presidency in a landslide. Friday's presidential runoff election was a setback for reformers who fear Ahmadinejad, 49, will take Iran back to the restrictions of the Islamic Revolution.

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Scott Simon

Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.

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Ivan Watson

Ivan Watson is currently based in Istanbul, Turkey. Following the 9-11 terrorist attacks, he has served as one of NPR's foreign "firemen," shuttling to and from hotspots around the Middle East and Central Asia.