After casting his ballot, Mr. Ahmadinejad greeted supporters. He has skillfully used the office as a bully pulpit both at home and abroad.

Mr. Moussavi, the opposition candidate, after casting his vote."This is a golden opportunity for us," he said. "All this unity and solidarity is the achievement of the revolution and the Islamic Republic."

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at a polling station in Tehran. Ayatollah Khamenei's position on the presidential elections has been a matter of intense speculation. He has not endorsed anyone, but offered a description of the ideal candidate that sounded very much like Mr. Ahmadinejad.

Men waited to vote in Tehran. The two main political camps seem almost to hail from different countries. Mr. Moussavi's supporters tend to be wealthier, more educated and more socially liberal than those of Mr. Ahmadinejad.