2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Michigan rock throwing death
Kenneth White, 32, was killed on October 18, 2017, when a 6-pound (2.7 kg) rock thrown by a group of five teens (Mikadyn Payne, Trevor Gray, Alexzander Miller, Mark Sekelsky and Kyle Anger) crashed through the windshield of the van he was riding in on Interstate 75 in Michigan, in Vienna Township, 80 miles (130 km) north of Detroit. Other cars were also damaged by rocks a group of four boys were throwing. All of the teenagers were from the Clio, Michigan area.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Michigan rock throwing death, Incident
The teenagers confessed to having thrown multiple rocks at cars driving south on I-75 from their position on the Dodge Road overpass in Vienna Township. They also confessed to playing a game called "overpassers" where hitting a car, which was called a "dinger," earned points. They competed in this for money. The five teenagers had gathered large rocks, one weighing 20 pounds (9.1 kg), from a dead-end street in Vienna Township, loading them into the flatbed of a pickup truck, before driving to the overpass where they were dropped onto cars as they passed below.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Michigan rock throwing death, Arrest of the teens involved
After hitting the car, the teens fled the scene and ate at a local fast food restaurant. The next day, one of the teens was questioned at school but then released. On Friday, October 20, upon hearing about the victim's death, the 5 teens exchanged text messages, including ones that said "We could go to prison for life for this, everyone lay low and no one rat us out!" and "No one saw us, if everyone shuts up we won't get caught." The next day, October 21, the police identified the vehicle in which the teens fled.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Michigan rock throwing death, Arrest of the teens involved
After identifying the owner, the police also sought evidence of who was inside it that night. After reviewing camera footage from the fast food restaurant where the teens ate, the police identified the five teens. The following day, Sunday, October 22, the police contacted the families of the five teens involved, informing them that warrants were out for their arrest. Since they were juveniles, the teens weren't arrested, but were instead told that they would have to surrender to the police by 10PM that day. Kyle Anger reportedly attended church that day and had dinner at a restaurant with his family before surrendering to the police. All of the teens surrendered to the police by 8PM that day.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Michigan rock throwing death, Victim
The victim, 32-year-old Kenneth White, was seated in the passenger seat. White, a construction worker, was riding with a co-worker. The rock fractured his skull, chest, and caused other facial injuries. He left behind his fiancée and his four children, the youngest being five years old.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Michigan rock throwing death, Trial and convictions
The teenagers throwing rocks that night surrendered to police, were arrested and charged with second-degree murder.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Michigan rock throwing death, Trial and convictions
Four of the five teenagers, who were part of the group throwing rocks at cars driving on Interstate 75 that night accepted plea deals to a reduced charge of manslaughter.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Michigan rock throwing death, Trial and convictions
In 2019, the judge rejected a request that they be sentenced as juveniles and ordered that the four be sentenced as adults.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Michigan rock throwing death, Trial and convictions
The individual who threw the rock that killed White (Kyle Anger) pled guilty  to second degree murder. He received a sentence of 3 years to 20 years in prison, with credit for 740 days already served. He was released in January 2021 after serving 39 months in prison.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Ohio rock throwing death
Marquise Byrd, 32, a resident of Warren, Michigan, was killed on Interstate 75 on December 19, 2017 near Toledo, Ohio when four teenagers dropped a sandbag from a bridge onto the car in which he was a passenger.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Ohio rock throwing death
The boys were crossing the highway on a bridge when they noticed rocks lying on the bridge, and decided to throw them at passing cars, and also threw two sandbags, running away when the second sandbag made a loud sound as it hit a vehicle. After Byrd's death, one of the teenagers, a thirteen-year-old, confessed to throwing the sandbag that killed Byrd.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Ohio rock throwing death
Press reports compared Byrd's death to the death of Kenneth White two months earlier on the same interstate highway.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Ohio rock throwing death, Victim
The victim, 32-year-old Marquise Byrd, was seated in the passenger seat.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Ohio rock throwing death, Legal proceedings
The judge in the case, Denise Navarre Cubbon, initially sentenced the four teenagers to serve time at the Department of Youth Services. She sentenced three of the teenagers (14 at the time of the killing) to serve terms of four years, and for the thirteen-year-old throwing the sandbag to serve until he turned 21. However, she suspended those sentences in favor of brief terms in the Lucas County Youth Treatment Center in the hope that clemency would prepare them to go on to lead productive lives.


2017 Interstate 75 rock-throwing deaths, Ohio rock throwing death, Impact
As a result of this crime, fencing was installed along the overpass from which the sandbag was thrown to prevent future attacks. Furthermore, Ohio began to require fencing on highway overpasses to prevent deaths and injuries caused by youths throwing rocks at vehicles.


2017 Intrust Super Premiership NSW finals series
The 2017 New South Wales Cup, or the 2017 Intrust Super Premiership NSW Cup due to sponsorship reasons, began its finals on 2 September 2017 and ended with the Grand Final on 24 September.


2017 Inverclyde Council election
The most recent elections to Inverclyde Council were held on Thursday 4 May 2017, on the same day as the 31 other local authorities in Scotland. It was the third successive Local Council election to run under the STV Electoral System. The election used seven wards created under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, with 22 Councillors being elected, an increase of 2 from 2012 and an additional ward. Each ward elected either 3 or 4 members, using the STV electoral system.


2017 Inverclyde Council election
Following the 2017 election, the Labour Party won the most seats but not enough to form majority control. At the first full meeting of the Council, Labour formed a minority administration with Conservative and Independent support with Martin Brennan elected Provost and Stephen McCabe retaining his position as Leader of the Council.


2017 Inverclyde Council election, Results
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes. The net gain/loss and percentage changes relate to the result of the previous Scottish local elections on 3 May 2007. This may differ from other published sources showing gain/loss relative to seats held at dissolution of Scotland's councils.


2017 Inverclyde Council election, Changes between 2017 and 2022
Innes Nelson (Ward 6) resigned from the SNP on 25 October 2017 following an assault allegation. The charges were dropped on 31 October 2018 and he re-joined the party.


2017 Inverclyde Council election, Changes between 2017 and 2022
Former SNP group leader Chris McEleny defected to the Alba Party on the announcement by Alex Salmond of its formation on 26 March 2021.


2017 Invictus Games
The 2017 Invictus Games was a parasport event for wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and their associated veterans, which was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The third Invictus Games, an  event created in 2014 by Prince Harry, included eleven sports. It was the second Games to be held in North America, following the Invictus Games Orlando 2016.


2017 Invictus Games, Development and preparation
The CEO of the 2017 Invictus Games was Michael Burns.


2017 Invictus Games, Development and preparation, Torch relay
The relay took place between 19 August and 26 September, visiting all 32 Canadian Forces bases and neighbouring communities, being carried by over 1000 torchbearers. The route was charted as being 7000 kilometres long.


2017 Invictus Games, Development and preparation, Venues
The Games used some of the facilities from Pan American and Parapan American Games in 2015, held in Toronto.


2017 Invictus Games, Development and preparation, Venues
There was no athlete's village for these games, but the downtown Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel became an unofficial village for participants living there.


2017 Invictus Games, Development and preparation, Funding
The Royal Canadian Legion was asked by organizers to be a sponsor; the 30 members of the Legion council who met voted unanimously in support. Their $500,000 donation drew criticism from Canadian Veterans Advocacy, who suggested that drawing on the Poppy Campaign donations as opposed to other revenue sources was inappropriate. The Legion and columnists defended the use of funds as supporting the mission, noting other veteran welfare projects like purchasing a specialized MRI for a mental health clinic.


2017 Invictus Games, Development and preparation, Marketing
A dog named Vimy was announced as the Games' mascot in April 2015. It was named for the Battle of Vimy Ridge, considered by many as a defining moment in Canadian history. A few days later, Prince Harry attended an exhibition sledge hockey game at Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Toronto Mayor John Tory, as part of a series of launch events at the Royal York Hotel, and with Elizabeth Dowdeswell in the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Queen's Park.


2017 Invictus Games, The Games, Participating nations
All 15 countries from the 2016 Games were invited again, while Romania and Ukraine made their debut.


2017 Invictus Games, Broadcasters
Bell Media was announced as the exclusive broadcast partner of the Games, in a deal covering both the Orlando 2016 and Toronto 2017 events. Events were shown on TSN. The station helped run the Toronto launch ceremony in May 2016.


2017 Iowa Barnstormers season
The 2017 Iowa Barnstormers season was the team's seventeenth season as a professional indoor football franchise and third in the Indoor Football League (IFL). One of ten teams that competed in the IFL for the 2017 season, the Barnstormers were members of the United Conference.


2017 Iowa Barnstormers season
Led by first-year head coach Dixie Wooten, the Barnstormers played their home games at the Wells Fargo Arena in the Des Moines, Iowa.


2017 Iowa Corn 300
The 2017 Iowa Corn 300 was an IndyCar Series event held at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa on July 9, 2017. The event served as the 11th round of the 2017 IndyCar Series season. Will Power qualified on pole, while Hélio Castroneves snapped a three-year winless streak by taking victory.


2017 Iowa Corn 300, Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Saturday, July 8. Will Power took pole position with a two-lap time of 34.7541 (185.210 mph). Beside him on the front row was J. R. Hildebrand, who secured his first career front-row start. Rounding out the top five were Hélio Castroneves, Ed Carpenter, and Takuma Sato. Carlos Muñoz crashed during his qualifying attempt, relegating him to starting last. It was the third time in the last four events that Muñoz had registered no time in qualifying.


2017 Iowa Corn 300, Race
The race was held on Sunday, July 9. At the start, Will Power swept into the lead, while both Hélio Castroneves and Ed Carpenter passed J. R. Hildebrand for second and third, respectively. Takuma Sato rounded out the top five. On lap 20, Castroneves moved past his teammate Power for the lead and began puling away. Further back, Graham Rahal began a move through the field to third place, while Mikhail Aleshin moved up to fourth.


2017 Iowa Corn 300, Race
Aleshin's run would come to an early end on lap 57, as he lost control of his car, spun, and crashed into the outside wall in turn two, bringing out the race's first caution period. During the caution, the field made their first pit stops, with Castroneves emerging still in the lead, with Power, Rahal, Carpenter, and Hildebrand behind.


2017 Iowa Corn 300, Race
Racing resumed on lap 67 with the leaders remaining in order. However, positions second through sixth battled after the restart, eventually resulting in Hildebrand moving up to second place on lap 93. Four laps later, Hildebrand caught and passed Castroneves for the lead of the race and began to pull away. Behind them, Ryan Hunter-Reay was able to move around Carpenter to move into the top 5. On lap 100, Castroneves dropped to third behind his teammate Power. By lap 109, the running order was Hildebrand, Power, Castroneves, Rahal, Hunter-Reay, and Josef Newgarden, who had moved ahead of Carpenter.


2017 Iowa Corn 300, Race
On lap 132, the race saw its second caution period when Carlos Muñoz hit the wall coming out of turn 4, bringing an end to his race. The caution period saw the race's second round of pit stops, during which Castroneves managed to leapfrog both Hildebrand and Power to reclaim the lead of the race, while Hunter-Reay moved into fourth ahead of Rahal. The race restarted on lap 142, with Power immediately passing Hildebrand for second and Rahal passing Hunter-Reay for fourth. After a few laps, though, Hildebrand once again passed Power and began to close on Castroneves.


2017 Iowa Corn 300, Race
His charge was stopped when the race's third caution period waved as Conor Daly made contact with the front straight wall on lap 171. With the caution came another round of stops, with Castroneves emerging in front of Power, Hunter-Reay, and Hildebrand. The race lead belonged to Charlie Kimball, who had elected not to pit during this caution period.


2017 Iowa Corn 300, Race
Racing resumed again on lap 182, with Castroneves taking less than a lap to reclaim the lead, while behind, Rahal was able to get around Hildebrand. The leaders were able to quickly dispatch of Kimball and continue their pursuit of Castroneves. On lap 196, caution once again waved, this time for a passing rain shower. Most of the leaders stayed out, while a few drivers farther back in the field, including Newgarden, Scott Dixon, and Simon Pagenaud, elected to pit. On lap 208, the race was halted as the rain grew heavier, though only lasted for roughly 10 minutes.


2017 Iowa Corn 300, Race
Racing finally resumed on lap 210 with Castroneves in the lead, while Newgarden, on new tires, moved into the top six after only nine laps. Castroneves, though, managed to pull out a sizable lead before making his final pit stop on lap 253. However, after the cycle of stops, Hildebrand emerged ahead of Castroneves, having stopped for fresh tires seven laps before Castroneves. Castroneves quickly caught back up to Hildebrand and managed to move back in front after using a slower back-marker as a pick. Castroneves pulled away and lead the remainder of the race to take victory.


2017 Iowa Corn 300, Race
Castroneves's victory snapped a 54 race winless drought going back the 2014 Dual in Detroit. It also marked his 30th career victory in IndyCars. Hildebrand's second place matched his career best finish. Hunter-Reay rounded out the podium with a third-place finish. Rahal and Power finished out the top five. In the championship, Dixon maintained his lead in the points, but now stood only eight points in front of Castroneves. Pagenaud, Power, and Newgarden ran third through fifth in the points.


2017 Iowa Corn 300, Report, Race
Points include 1 point for leading at least 1 lap during a race, an additional 2 points for leading the most race laps, and 1 point for Pole Position.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hawkeyes, led by 19th-year head coach Kirk Ferentz, were members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. They finished the season 8–5, 4–5 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for third place in the West Division. They received an invite to the Pinstripe Bowl where they defeated Boston College.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The Iowa football program was awarded Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award for the Kinnick Wave, a new tradition that began during the season, where, at the end of the first quarter of every home game everyone in the stadium turned and waved to the young patients watching from the Stead Family Children's Hospital, which overlooks Kinnick Stadium. This season marked the first time since 1980 that the Tigerhawk logo was displayed at midfield in Kinnick Stadium.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Previous season
The Hawkeyes finished the 2016 season 8–5, 6–3 in Big Ten play to finish in second place in the West Division. They received an invite to the Outback Bowl where they lost to Florida.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Schedule
Iowa announced its 2017 football schedule on July 11, 2013. The 2017 schedule consisted of seven home and five away games in the regular season. The Hawkeyes hosted Big Ten foes Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, and Purdue, and traveled to Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Wisconsin.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Schedule
The team hosted two non–conference games against the Wyoming Cowboys from the Mountain West Conference and the North Texas Mean Green from Conference USA. Sandwiched between those matchups was a trip to Ames for the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry game against the Iowa State Cyclones from the Big 12 Conference.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Wyoming
Iowa opened up the 2017 football season against the Wyoming Cowboys and highly rated Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. The Hawkeyes got off to a slow start, but after Wyoming punter Tim Zaleski missed the ball on the attempted punt, the Hawkeyes took a 14-3 lead at the half. Iowa built on the momentum with a 45-yard pass from first-year starter Nate Stanley to wide receiver Nick Easley. Iowa wins the season opener 24-3. Iowa's defense impressed many, holding Josh Allen to only 174 yards and 17 incompletions, and a quarterback rating of 24.9. Iowa defense also picked off Allen twice.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Wyoming
This game marked the debut of the "Kinnick Wave", a new Iowa football tradition in which fans turn toward the children's hospital that overlooks the playing field at the end of the first quarter and wave to patients and their families watching the game from the hospital.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, at Iowa State
Iowa's first rivalry game of the year was the Cy-Hawk series against Big 12 foe Iowa State. Iowa State comes in fresh off a 42-3 beatdown in Iowa City the past year. ISU's 2nd year coach Matt Campbell referred to Iowa as the "team out east" in pregame preparations. This game had a relatively slow beginning and Iowa appeared to be in control well into the third quarter. However, Iowa State's offense exploded and put up 28 points in the second half. The game ultimately went to OT and the "team out east" prevailed with a Nate Stanley touchdown pass.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Illinois
Illinois played with Iowa well into the third quarter. The Hawkeyes appeared lethargic but a Brandon Snyder interception sparked an Iowa rally and they dominated the rest of the way.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, Ohio State
Iowa was able to defeat Ohio State for the first time since 2004 in this blowout victory. The Buckeyes played with the Hawkeyes for most of the first half but from there the game belonged to Iowa. It was one of the most impressive wins of the Ferentz era and Nate Stanley's most distinguished to that point as well. Tight ends Noah Fant and T. J. Hockenson combined for 9 receptions, 125 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Defensive back and future NFL player Josh Jackson also had an outstanding game, tying an Iowa school record with three interceptions.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, at Nebraska
Nebraska got out to a fast start and was up 14-7 in the second quarter with Iowa struggling to move the ball. The script completely flipped from that point though as the Hawkeyes scored 49 unanswered points and shutout the Cornhuskers in the second half.


2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, Game summaries, vs. Boston College (Pinstripe Bowl)
Iowa was able to end their bowl drought in this contest with Boston College. The Hawkeyes had trouble containing the Eagles' offense but with second half adjustments held them to just a field goal which came with only a few minutes left in the fourth quarter. The victory was bowl win number seven for Kirk Ferentz and tied legendary coach Hayden Fry in career wins with 143.


2017 Iowa State Cyclones football team
The 2017 Iowa State Cyclones football team represented Iowa State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Competing as a member of the Big 12 Conference (Big 12), the team played its home games at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. They were led by second-year head coach Matt Campbell. They finished the season 8–5, 5–4 in Big 12 play to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place. They were invited to the Liberty Bowl where they defeated Memphis.


2017 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Previous season
The 2016 Iowa State Cyclones football team finished the regular season 3–9, with wins over non conference opponent, San Jose State and conference opponents Texas Tech and Kansas. Allen Lazard received first team All-Big 12 honors and Kamari Cotton-Moya received second team All-Big 12 honors.


2017 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Personnel, Returning starters
Iowa State had 13 returning players on offense, 11 on defense and 5 on special teams that started games previously for the Cyclones.


2017 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Schedule
Iowa State announced their 2017 football schedule on December 13, 2016. The 2017 schedule comprised six home and six away games in the regular season. The Cyclones will host Big 12 foes TCU, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Kansas and traveled to Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and West Virginia. For non-conference games, the Cyclones traveled to Akron, as well as home games against in–state rivals UNI and Iowa. Originally Iowa State was scheduled to play Akron September 23 but that game was moved up to September 16. They were also scheduled to open Big 12 play against Texas on September 30 but that was moved up to September 28.


2017 Ipswich SuperSprint
The 2017 Coates Hire Ipswich SuperSprint was a motor racing event for the Supercars Championship, held on the weekend of 28 to 30 July 2017. The event was held at Queensland Raceway near Ipswich, Queensland and consisted of two races, 120 and 200 kilometres in length. It is the eighth event of fourteen in the 2017 Supercars Championship and hosted Races 15 and 16 of the season.


2017 Ipswich SuperSprint, Background, Driver changes
Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport replaced Aaren Russell with Alex Davison for this and the following event.


2017 Ipswich SuperSprint, Background, Driver changes
This was the fourth and final round in which Super2 Series wildcards were allowed to compete in the main class. Shae Davies, Todd Hazelwood, Jack Le Brocq and James Golding were the four drivers to step up for this round.


2017 Iran Futsal's 2nd Division
The 2017 Iranian Futsal 2nd Division will be divided into three phases.


2017 Iran Futsal's 2nd Division
The league will also be composed of 32 teams divided into four divisions. All divisions of 8 teams, whose teams will be divided geographically. Teams will play only other teams in their own division, once at home and once away for a total of 14 matches each.


2017 Iranian Super Cup
The 2017 Iranian Super Cup was held on 21 July 2017 between the 2016–17 Persian Gulf Pro League champions Persepolis and the 2016–17 Hazfi Cup winners Naft Tehran.


2017 Iranian Super Cup
Persepolis won the Iranian Super Cup 3–0 for the first time.


2017 Iranian local elections
Local elections were held in Iran on 19 May 2017 to elect members of the City and Village Councils simultaneously with the twelfth presidential election.


2017 Iranian local elections, Registration
A total number of 287,425 candidates registered in the elections nationwide, including 17,885 women (6.3%). Share of female candidates shows a slight increase in comparison to 2013 elections, when they made up just 5.4%.


2017 Iranian local elections, Results, Provincial capitals
Political distribution of 134 seats for Tehran and nine major cities according to KhabarOnline report.


2017 Iranian local elections, Results, Provincial capitals
315 Province capital seats won by political factions according to Tasnim News Agency report. (Excluding twenty seats for Bandar Abbas and Sari)


2017 Iranian local elections, Results, Provincial capitals
320 Province capital seats won by political factions according to Iran newspaper report. (Excluding seats for Ahvaz and two of Bojnourd seats)


2017 Iranian local elections, Results, Provincial capitals
KhabarOnline reported the results for ten major city councils as follows:


2017 Iranian local elections, Results, Provincial capitals
Rouhani administration-controlled newspaper Iran and allegedly Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Tasnim News Agency published detailed reports on the results, with the number of seats won by each bloc as following:


2017 Iranian local elections, Results, Provincial capitals
See also List of results of 2017 Iranian local elections based on provinces for more detailed results.


2017 Iranian local elections, Highlights
During the elections, a 60-year-old bird seller was placed first in Khorram Abad, campaigning with walking the streets introducing himself to people. In Rasht, a teacher who was sacked after the 1979 Iranian Revolution as well as a street sweeper were elected.


2017 Iranian local elections, Post-election controversy over non-Muslim councillors
There has been a controversy around the reelection of Sepanta Niknam, a Zoroastrian municipal councillor in Yazd, as there was no clear legislation on the matter. "On April 15, about one month before Iran’s local and presidential elections", Ahmad Jannati, head of the Guardian Council, had "issued a directive demanding that non-Muslims be disqualified from running in the then-upcoming city and village council elections in localities where most of the population are Muslims".


2017 Iranian local elections, Post-election controversy over non-Muslim councillors
On November 26, 2017, Iranian lawmakers approved the urgency of a bill that would give the right for members of the religious minorities to nominate candidates for the city and village councils elections. The bill secured 154 yes votes, 23 no and 10 abstention. A total of 204 lawmakers were present at the parliament session.


2017 Iranian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Iran on 19 May 2017, the twelfth such election in Iran. Local elections were held simultaneously.


2017 Iranian presidential election
Candidates' registration took place from 11 to 15 April 2017. Incumbent president Hassan Rouhani was eligible to run for re-election. His rivals were the conservatives' top candidate Ebrahim Raisi, the Islamic Coalition Party's Mostafa Mir-Salim and Mostafa Hashemitaba who ran with no partisan support.


2017 Iranian presidential election
Rouhani was re-elected for a second term. According to results announced by the Interior Ministry, Rouhani received 23.5 of 41 million votes counted. His closest rival, Ebrahim Raisi, received 15.7 million votes. Rouhani was inaugurated on 5 August 2017 taking oath of office for the second time at the Parliament of Iran.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Electoral system, Eligibility
Any Iranian citizen above 18 years of age was able to register as a presidential candidate. An institution called the Election Monitoring Agency (EMA) and managed by the Guardian Council vets registered candidates and approves a handful to run in the election. The Guardian Council does not publicly announce the reason a particular candidate is rejected, although those reasons are explained to each candidate. Women who register as candidates have invariably been excluded from standing for election by the Council.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Electoral system, Timeline
According to the official dates announced on 1 April 2017 by the Ministry of Interior:


2017 Iranian presidential election, Candidates, Registration and vetting process
During the five days period, a total of 1,636 individuals put their name to run for president, an increase over the 686 candidates in the previous election in 2013. Among the candidates was a record number of 137 women. Hundreds of the applicants were ordinary people with no political background and clearly lacked the criteria cited in the article 115 of the constitution, which is being considered among "religious and political rejal" ("men" or "personalities", according to different interpretations). Many criticized the law, which allows almost anyone to register to run.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Candidates, Registration and vetting process
Some intended to gain public attention, including political prisoners Mehdi Khazali and former MP Ghasem Sholeh-Saadi,a millionaire property developer applied from Australia Alireza Ahmadian and some women tried to challenge the judicial interpretation of word rejal as "men", most notably Azam Taleghani. On 20 April 2017, the Guardian Council announced a list of 6 approved candidates. The list contains incumbent president Hassan Rouhani, incumbent vice president Eshaq Jahangiri, Astan Quds Razavi custodian Ebrahim Raisi, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Mostafa Mir-Salim and Mostafa Hashemitaba.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Candidates, Registration and vetting process
Former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his vice president Hamid Baghaei were disqualified. Ahmadinejad, who was advised by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei not to run for the election, wrote a letter in September 2016 to him, pledging that he would not run. On 11 February 2017, he officially declared that he would not back any candidate, however, in a video released on 19 March 2017 he announced his support for Hamid Baghaei and surprised observers by himself registering to run.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Candidates, Registration and vetting process
Mohammad Gharazi was also among those disqualified, despite being approved as a candidate in 2013.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Candidates, Approved candidates, Withdrawals
In his statement, Ghalibaf accused current president Hassan Rouhani of financial mismanagement and asserted that he and his supporters were "revolutionary opportunists." The statement read:


2017 Iranian presidential election, Candidates, Approved candidates, Withdrawals
The fight against pseudo-revolutionary opportunists has become highly costly, because this current is gnawing at the roots of the Revolution like a termite...[They] are not only at odds with the intellectual fundaments of original revolutionaries, but also represent a current whose material interests are at risk.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Debates and TV programs
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) provides each candidate with 210 minutes for campaign talks on TV, and there would be three debate sessions on politics, economics, and social pressing issues aired on Channel 1. On 20 April 2017, Election Campaign Monitoring Commission announced that there would be no live debates and it will broadcast prerecorded, however, after vast criticism from candidates and Iranian people the commission revoked its decision two days later. Candidates are scheduled to air dedicated programmes on IRIB TV channels and radio stations, 555 minutes for each per candidate, and a sum of 1,470 minutes including the debates.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Campaigning platforms and techniques
The election was characterised for usage of populist practices and mudslinging. The conservatives launched smear campaigns against the reformist-backed candidate Hassan Rouhani, while he initially refrained from campaigning in this way. Rouhani later changed strategy by simply attacking his rivals and the incumbent administration used fearmongering tactics to encourage people to vote.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Role of social media
Social media was traditionally a tool for the reformists to campaign, but the presence of conservatives during the election was unprecedented in Iranian political history.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Role of social media
Telegram instant messaging service, the most widely used messaging application in Iran, reportedly has more than 45 million users in a country of nearly 80 million as of April 2016. It serves as a platform for Iranians to express their political opinions and played an important role in the campaigns for the elections held in 2016 for Parliament and Assembly of Experts. Twitter is blocked in Iran, however, Iranians use proxies to tweet and those that create a buzz, then travel to Telegram channels, where "they can potentially reach a much wider audience" according to BBC.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Role of social media
Two months before election, Iranian Judiciary arrested some pro-Hassan Rouhani Telegram channel administrators for “crimes against public morals and publishing obscenity”.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Role of social media
The campaigners also heavily used Instagram and its feature of airing live videos to stream real-time campaign developments.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Tactical nomination of Jahangiri
President Rouhani's ally and first vice president Eshaq Jahangiri stood in the election to support him during the campaign and in TV debates, being called as a ‘fender’ or ‘cover candidate’ by Iranian media, who will possibly withdraw in support of the incumbent president. The idea was allegedly recommended by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was a key backer of Rouhani before his death in January 2017. Another reason cited for the nomination was to have an 'alternative candidate' in case the Guardian Council disqualified Rouhani or raise his profile for a bid in 2021 election.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Tactical nomination of Jahangiri
Jahangiri withdrew in favor of Rouhani on 16 May 2017.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Hashemitaba's endorsement of Rouhani
Candidate Mostafa Hashemitaba released a statement on 15 May 2017 and endorsed Rouhani, but refused to quit the race. He said he “will vote for the current president to help extension of this government's constructive approach.”


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Conservative consensus candidate
Among the approved candidates, Ebrahim Raisi, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Mostafa Mir-Salim were regarded as figures of the conservative camp, which intended to bring one single candidate for the election. Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces (JAMNA), the  umbrella organization established to introduce one single consensus candidate for the conservatives finally endorsed both Raisi and Ghalibaf, and it was unclear if any of them would drop out in favor of a fellow conservative.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Conservative consensus candidate
On 15 May 2017, Ghalibaf gave up his bid  in favor of Raisi.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Campaign, Conservative consensus candidate
Islamic Coalition Party released a statement on 18 May 2017, announcing it supports Raisi's bid for presidency following the withdrawal of Mostafa Mir-Salim, despite the fact that Mir-Salim denied that he is withdrawing from the race.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Polling process
The election was kicked off at 8 a.m. (IRST) on Friday, 29 May 2017. It was held in domestic 63,429 polling stations, in addition to some 14,000 mobile ballot boxes. It involved around 1.5 million executive forces and monitors, 350,000 security forces, 70,000 inspectors, and around 100,000 representatives of local governors.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Polling process
After a “huge rush” of citizens to vote, the polling time was extended for several extra hours until midnight which is the latest possible time allowed by the law.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Polling process, Polling stations abroad
Among the citizens eligible to vote in the election, about 2.5 million lived abroad and the elections were held in 103 countries, including the United States.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Polling process, Polling stations abroad
Canada, which hosts at least 400,000 Iranians, does not have diplomatic relations with Iran, a situation which hindered participation of Iranian citizens. However, some traveled to the United States in order to vote.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Results
According to final results, 41,366,085 voted from a registered electorate of 56,410,234. Turnout was 73.33%. The Ministry of Interior announced results gradually after midnight (local time), after polls closed. Final results were announced at 8 June 2017.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Results
Split percentages are from the Ministry of Interior of Iran, based on all votes cast. This is because 50%+ of all votes is needed to win the first round.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Results, Provincial votes
The table below displays the official vote tallies by province:


2017 Iranian presidential election, Results, International votes
The table below displays the official vote tallies by country:


2017 Iranian presidential election, Results, Maps and graphs
Iranian presidential election, 2017 by province. The size of each pie chart is proportional to the total votes of each province.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Results, Maps and graphs
Iranian presidential election, 2017 by province. The area of each province is proportional to the number of its total votes.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Results, Maps and graphs
Iranian presidential election, 2017 by province. The size of each province is proportional to its population.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Results, Protests
On 21 May 2017, Ebrahim Raisi wrote a letter to the Guardian Council, objecting to the results.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Allegations of foreign interference
During the elections, several Iranian analysts and officials warned of a possible foreign electoral intervention.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Allegations of foreign interference, Judiciary head remarks
The head of Iran's judicial system, Sadeq Larijani, warned that Iran's enemies made a "huge investment" to undermine and exploit the elections: "The enemies may want to deal a blow to the Iranian political system during the elections".


2017 Iranian presidential election, Allegations of foreign interference, President of Tatarstan visit
On 20 April 2017, Rustam Minnikhanov - President of Tatarstan and Vladimir Putin's envoy, met with candidate Ebrahim Raisi in Mashhad in Raisi's capacity as Head of Astan Quds Razavi. MP Alireza Rahimi questioned the meeting and asked for explanations about the reasons for it, citing alleged Russian interference in 2016 U.S. election. “The recent meeting raises the suspicion of interference in the elections, which is not appropriate”, he said.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Allegations of foreign interference, President of Tatarstan visit
According to the official Islamic Republic News Agency, Minnikhanov also met vice president Eshaq Jahangiri in Tehran one day earlier, discussing bilateral relations.


2017 Iranian presidential election, Reactions, Domestic
Tens of thousands of supporters of President Hassan Rouhani poured into the streets of Tehran to celebrate the incumbent's re-election. The Tehran Stock Exchange rallied after the election results came out, extending a recent winning streak to close almost 1% higher at its highest level in three months.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates
There were three live televised debates in total. First debate focused on social issues while the next two revolved around economic and political matters. The candidates had drawn lots to determine their seating arrangement for the debate.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
The candidates outlined their plans for the post. They were given an equal time to garner as many votes as possible in order to win the ticket to the office. The live broadcast, which lasted for three hours, aimed to reduce the candidates' campaign spending and pave the way for eligible voters to make their choice based on the sharp-cut and unambiguous plans represented during the program.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Upon entering the headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in the capital, Tehran, Hassan Rouhani was asked if he was ready, to which he responded, "We're probably all ready that we have come [here]." Meanwhile, Mehr News Agency reported that the debate had been put off half an hour to 16:30 local time (12:00 GMT) upon the request of Rouhani's campaign.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Morteza Heidari, the renowned Iranian television news host and presenter who moderated the debate, also said he was prepared for the task and everything had been rehearsed. The debate began with Heidari outlining its format and regulations and how the time would be broken up between the candidates.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Mostafa Mir-Salim was the first candidate to answer the first question about settlements on the outskirts and peripheries of cities. This too was determined through a draw. Mirsalim expressed his serious concern about lack of management of natural resources. He said correct water management would be the first step to reduce immigration from rural areas to cities. He added that lack of attention to proper spatial planning was the main reason behind immigration.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
The other five candidates then took two-minute turns to make their own remarks on the issue and challenge Mir-Salim. Hashemitaba said Iran is plagued with severe environmental crisis. The third hopeful, incumbent Rouhani, said that immigration to big cities is a major problem not only in Iran but in most countries. He added that unemployment and low income are major reasons behind immigration to big cities. Ghalibaf, for his part, said social and economic imbalance is a major reason behind immigration. Jahangiri said attention to immigrants to big cities must be the first priority in tackling their problems. Raisi said the first priority is to have correct figures on immigration to big cities. While Ghalibaf put the number of outskirts dwellers at 11 million, Raisi said the figure belongs to four years ago and currently stands at around 16 million.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Mir-Salim then retook to the podium and said immigration should be curbed before it gives rise to social crises and added that 350,000 illegal wells have wasted the country's water resources and caused immigration. The candidate said social facilities must be distributed evenly in cities and villages and expressed regret that some 10.2 million Iranians are totally illiterate. He noted that suitable housing must be provided in small towns and villages to prevent immigration.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Ebrahim Raisi was next up on the podium. He responded to a query on social justice and how to establish and promote it in Iran. In the four minutes allocated to him, Raisi said the GINI Index, a measurement of the income distribution of a country's residents, shows class divide has increased in Iran, adding that tripling subsidies handed out to lower classes would be a good way to narrow the social gaps. He noted that tax evasion must be prevented to promote social justice.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Hassan Rouhani stressed the importance of striking a balance between eastern and western parts of the country. Ghalibaf said promoting social justice would be difficult as long as urban crises are not resolved. Jahangiri said social justice is not limited to economic issues but also includes education, political and judicial matters.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Raisi once again took to the podium to give his responses and explanations about questions raised by the other hopefuls. He said joblessness and shutdown of production units are major problems facing the country's economy. He added that the next administration must make plans to narrow social gaps in a bid to promote justice.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Mostafa Hashemitaba was the third candidate who took to the podium to respond to a debate question about his plans to solve the country's housing problem. He said bank loans and mass construction would be good ways to tackle the housing problem, adding that job creation would help resolve this issue.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Eshaq Jahangiri said unoccupied housing units are the main obstacle to solving the housing problem and added that increasing bank loans and establishing housing investment funds would be good solutions to this issue.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Hashemitaba then retook to the podium and used his five-minute time to answer the raised questions.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Hassan Rouhani was the next hopeful taking to the podium to respond to a debate question about his plans to encourage the youth marriage. He said unemployment was the main problem facing the promotion of youth marriage and added that boosting hope and avoiding unnecessary limitations in the society are key to solve problems. He said hope for future has increased in the Iranian society and employment has improved. Hope for future and employment are the best ways to promote youth marriage in Iran, Rouhani added.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Raisi said banking facilities, housing and employment are the main necessities to promote marriage among young Iranians. The other candidates also offered their viewpoints with Ghalibaf challenging Rouhani on an alleged pledge that Rouhani had made during the previous presidential campaign to create four million jobs. Rouhani denied ever making that promise.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Rouhani then said oil revenues and taxation are major sources of the administration's income and noted that his administration has reduced dependence on oil revenues to below 30 percent.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Eshaq Jahangiri was the fifth presidential candidate to use his four-minute time to outline his plans on reducing bureaucracy in executive bodies. He said the current administration has managed to change the security-based approach to social issues and added that most of the Iranian people are not satisfied with municipalities and banks. The current first vice president said the establishment of an e-government was the major step to reduce bureaucracy.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Ebrahim Raisi said an electronic government would increase transparency and facilitate the administrative processes. Rouhani said some media outlets undermine the social capital in the country. In this segment, Ghalibaf questioned the reason behind Jahangiri's candidacy, implying that Jahangiri has only registered to support Rouhani.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Jahangiri said forceful measures would fail to solve social problems and added that he took part in the presidential election as a representative of the Reformist camp. The current first vice president emphasized that the 11th administration has managed to increase petrochemical production by nine million tonnes.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was the last hopeful taking to the podium to answer a question about his plans to tackle the environmental challenges if elected president. He said the dust storm problem is currently plaguing 20 Iranian provinces and added that inappropriate measures taken inside the country has led to this crisis.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Jahangiri said the current administration has succeeded in taking essential measures to solve the environmental problems. He added that 70 percent of the dust storm problem stems from reasons beyond Iran's borders.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Ghalibaf defended the performance of Tehran Municipality in the environment-protection sector, saying it has used garbage to generate power and produce compost. The mayor of Tehran added that over 20,000 hectares have been planted with trees around the capital.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
With all the six candidates having taken to the podium, the moderator announced the end of the first section of the debate and called a break before the beginning of the second round.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
In the second section, each candidate was given two minutes to answer a question raised by the moderator. Draws determined the candidate and the question that he answers.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Rouhani explained his plans to promote employment for women, saying his administration has managed to create 700,000 jobs for women. He added that women account for over 50 percent of university students in Iran.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
As per the draw, Mir-Salim next responded to a question about his plans to solve the heavy traffic problem in big cities and said giving priority to public transport would be the best solution to the issue.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Jahangiri was asked about his plans to boost the social status of the elites. He highlighted the fact that Iranian elites have greatly increased the country's scientific ranking in the world.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Raisi responded to a question about his plans to promote the culture of sportsmanship and said winning medals in sports is very important for the country.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Summary
Ghalibaf and Hashemitaba also in turn provided answered to the questions posed to them. In this section Ghalibaf displayed a screenshot of the Iranian president's website which he claimed confirms his remarks about Rouhani's pledge during the previous campaign to create four million jobs.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Post-debate poll
Two days after the first round of presidential debates on April 28, an online poll indicated that First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri attracted national attention, taking a lead over his fellow competitor, incumbent Hassan Rouhani, who is running for a second term.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, First debate, Post-debate poll
According to the online poll, conducted by Tabnak news website and republished by Aftab Online on April 30, 42% of respondents believe Jahangiri took the most advantage of the debate. About 34% said Rouhani was the best, while 15% voiced support for Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Other candidates, including Ebrahim Raisi, Mostafa Mirsalim representing the conservative Islamic Coalition Party and Mostafa Hashemitaba, a marginal pro-Reform competitor got the least attention from the public, the poll showed.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Morteza Heidari, as in the first round, was the moderator today.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Ghalibaf was drawn first to answer a question about scientific progress in the country and his plans to boost it. He said cultural issues are the root of economic issues in the country, suggesting that the current officials in the education ministry cannot be relied upon to carry out their responsibilities.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Presidential candidates took turns to express their views on Ghalibaf's remarks with Rouhani saying that it is necessary to build cultural infrastructure for promoting the cultural status of the country. Mostafa Hashemitaba said faculty members of universities must only focus on educating students. Jahangiri also said serious measures must be taken to improve teachers' livelihood. Raeisi criticized the fall in the pace of Iran's scientific progress in the recent years.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Mostafa Mir-Salim, the second hopeful taking to the podium, was asked to outline his approaches for interacting with other political parties. He said embracing criticism is the only way for any administration's success. He criticized the 11th administration for failing to embrace criticism and insulting critics. Mir-Salim said lack of criticism means that the people are not willing to play a role in the country's progress.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Hashemitaba said some media outlets have targeted the 11th administration with the harshest of attacks. Jahangiri also said everybody must welcome constructive criticism and added that the current administration was successful in handling critics and promoting social liberties. Ebrahim Raisi also said the administration of President Hassan Rouhani has attacked its critics and used insulting expressions in response to them.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Mir-Salim once again took to the podium to answer the candidates' questions and said the current administration has not been successful in helping the realization of citizenship rights.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Ebrahim Raisi, the third candidate at the podium, used his four-minute time to express his plans to prevent any violation of Iran's nuclear rights. He said the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, must be respected by all involved parties. He added that negative signals were sent to the opposite side during the nuclear negotiations. Raisi said the incumbent president had promised that all sanctions would be removed after the JCPOA conclusion but this has not happened.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Ghalibaf said the JCPOA has failed either to solve Iran's economic problems or improve people's livelihood. Mir-Salim said the nuclear agreement proved to the world that Iran does not seek to develop nuclear weapons. Rouhani said the presidential candidates must clearly inform the Iranian people of their plans concerning the JCPOA and interact with the world. He added that the JCPOA has led to the removal of all nuclear-related sanctions and emphasized that Iran would be exporting 200,000 barrels of oil per day if the JCPOA had not been reached. Jahangiri said the nuclear agreement was one of the greatest achievements in Iran's history and added that Iran's oil exports would have stopped if the deal were not reached.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Raisi said the JCPOA has failed to end Iran's economic recession and remove all banking sanctions but added that all Iranian administrations must be committed to the nuclear agreement. Ghalibaf retook the podium to answer the candidates' questions and said smuggling has caused the most major problems for the economy.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Mostafa Hashemitaba, the fourth candidate taking to the podium, answered a debate question about his most important priorities of the foreign policy. He said different governments must be dealt with in different ways and added that the country must appear strong in the face of elements that take orders from the Israeli regime and arrogant powers. Hashemitaba also said Iran must take every step to strengthen the country's defense sector.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Jahangiri said the country must make the most of public diplomacy at the international level. The current vice president added that tourism, arts and sports are major fields for interaction with other nations. He emphasized that Iran's soft power must increase in parallel with its hard power. Raisi said Iran must pursue a strong economic diplomacy in its relations with other countries. He stressed the importance of protecting the rights of the Iranian citizens in all countries. ]


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Ghalibaf said the country must use all forms of diplomacy in its interactions with others and added that the 11th administration lacks coherence with regard to international trade. Rouhani said his administration brought about the realization of the country's rights in the nuclear negotiations with the P5+1 group of countries through a powerful diplomacy.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Hashemitaba said Iran can use its energy exports to cement relations with other countries and added that exports are a major factor in implementing Resistance Economy. He emphasized that necessary guarantees must be given to investors to attract investment.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Eshaq Jahangiri took the podium, as the fifth candidate, to explain his plans to boost Iran's defense power and national security. He said a president needs to have experience in dealing with domestic and international issues and expressed disapproval of the fact that Iran's cultural power has not taken advantage of properly.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
The presidential candidates took turns to express their views on Jahangiri's remarks with Ebrahim Raisi saying that the Iranian people's presence was the most important component of national might. Mostafa Mir-Salim said the current administration reduced the research budget to below 0.5 percent. Rouhani said Iran is currently considered as a big power in the region and the world, adding that the Islamic Republic's international standing has been greatly improved in comparison with the past.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Jahangiri used his five-minute time to answer the questions raised by other candidates and said Iran's culture was the most important source of the country's power.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Last but not least Hassan Rouhani took to the podium to answer a question about promoting Iranian-Islamic lifestyle. He said the Iranian people must choose between a totalitarian administration and an administration promoting freedoms. He added that Iran's president belongs to all people.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
The presidential candidates took turns to express their views on Rouhani's remarks with Jahangiri saying that the improving of lifestyles would reduce excessive use of the country's resources. Raisi said the optimal use of resources and the promotion of national unity are the major components of an Iranian-Islamic lifestyle. Ghalibaf said cultural affairs must be managed by cultural figures. The mayor of Tehran added that cultural activities have greatly advanced in the capital in recent years. Mir-Salim, meanwhile, criticized the 11th administration for failing to promote an Iranian-Islamic lifestyle.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
In response to the allegations against his administration, the incumbent president said some candidates are giving empty promises on economic growth to the Iranians.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
With all the six candidates having taken to the podium, the moderator announced the end of the first section of the debate and called a break before the beginning of the second round.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
In the second section, each candidate was given two minutes to answer a question raised by the moderator. Draws determined the candidate and the question posed to him.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Jahangiri, going first, explained his plans to use arts to boost cultural potentialities and said no unlawful limitation must be imposed on artistic activities.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
As per the draw, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf next responded to a question about his plans to boost the training aspect of the education system in the country and said some officials are willing to use foreign investment more than domestic potentialities.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Mir-Salim was asked about his plans to boost cooperation among the three branches of the government. He said all branches of the government must cooperate to solve the country's problems. He added that close cooperation is needed between the executive and legislative branches.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Hashemitaba, for his part, responded to a question about his plans to manage cyberspace. He said problematic cyberspace content must be controlled.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Rouhani answered a question about his plans to promote non-extravagant lifestyles and said the previous administration wasted billions of people's assets due to its carelessness. He added that his administration seeks to implement the transparency law.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
Raisi, the last candidate speaking in this part, explained his plans about the ways to improve teachers' living standards and said the necessary facilities must be provided to elevate the scientific level of teachers. He added that due attention must be paid to improving the livelihood of teachers.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Summary
The final segment of the debate concerned the candidates' concluding remarks in which they offered a recap of their points, plans, agendas as well as their final statements in the time allotted to them so that all of the hopefuls would have had equal speaking time.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Reactions
Foreign policy has traditionally come second to domestic issues in Iranian presidential elections. Yet ever since the 2013 presidential election, foreign policy debates have come to the fore. Four years before, Hassan Rouhani ran for president with a symbolic key to open the doors to resolve Iran's mainly economic challenges. During the 2013 election, Rouhani argued that many difficulties were rooted in the country's foreign policy, declaring that it's time for foreign policy to serve Iran's economy.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Reactions
He also said in yet another highly symbolic sentence that the spinning of uranium enrichment centrifuges is valuable once the economy's wheels also spin. Therefore, his foreign policy agenda focused on resolving both the nuclear issue and easing tensions with Iran's Arab neighbors. Nonetheless, resolving the nuclear issue through engagement with six world powers came first, paying off with the signing of the 2015 JCPOA deal. Despite the criticisms at the debate, Rouhani is believed to have a stronger foreign policy than the opponents.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Second debate, Reactions
Another notable development during the debate was that Mostafa Hashemitaba who joined Rouhani and Jahangiri in defending the incumbent moderate administration. Meanwhile, conservative candidates Raisi and Mostafa Mir-Salim who both were soft-spoken in the first debate April 28, harshly criticized Rouhani and his government. Reformist Abdollah Naseri said that Raisi had set in motion a clear competition with Ghalibaf, whom observers say sought to portray himself as the main conservative candidate in the first debate.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Upon entering the headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, the venue of the debate, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the implementation of any economic plan will affect the interests of the "four-percent" minority, a term he has been using throughout his campaigning to refer to the unfair distribution of wealth and opportunities in the country. He also expressed hope that candidates would focus on economic issues in the debate and not digress from the issue at hand.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
In an interview prior to his participation in the debate, Mostafa Mir-Salim said the economic debate would be more important than the two previous televised clashes due to the fact that the major problem of Iranians concerns economic woes, adding that the issue is more acute for the youths.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Ebrahim Raisi said in interview before the debates that Iranians want to learns two things, one is the performance of the incumbent administration and the other is the candidates' agendas. He, too, stressed that the main concern of the people is economic issues. He cited the closure of factories, the impoverished people, workers, villagers and those involved in the production sector as some of the areas of concern.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Also speaking prior to partaking in the debate, Incumbent President Hassan Rouhani said Iranian people expect that the candidates set out their backgrounds in economic issues and explain what they have done. He added that the hopefuls must also lay out the resources that they have in mind for the implementation of their economic agendas, how they plan to fund them and how much inflation would be caused.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
The debate begins in earnest with Eshaq Jahangiri drawn first to answer a question about his plans to fight smuggling and reduce imports. He said the smuggling of commodities undermines domestic production and diverts the course of economy from the right course. He added that the oversight in dealing with the smuggling of goods has dealt severe blows to the country's economy.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Presidential candidates took turns to express their views on Jahangiri's remarks with Raeisi saying that the backbone of his anti-smuggling plan is based on extensive research conducted in universities. He added that the 11th administration was not serious in dealing with the smuggling of goods. Mostafa Hashemitaba said that 114 official docks have been used to smuggle goods into country.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said prevention is the first step in fighting goods smuggling and added that some cabinet ministers are engaged in illegal import of commodities to the country. Rouhani said the first concern with regard to the smuggling is its root causes. He added that the private sector's economic activities must be encouraged to reduce smuggling and emphasized that border villages must start producing and exporting goods in order to curb smuggling.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Jahangiri retook the podium to answer the candidates' questions and said the judiciary has appeared weak in fighting the smuggling of goods. He added that the current administration has taken serious measures to stop astronomical salaries. The Iranian first vice president said Tehran Municipality has not come clean on the selling of underpriced properties to certain people.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Mostafa Mir-Salim, the second hopeful taking to the podium, was asked to outline his approaches to boosting exports and reducing the country's dependence on oil. He said he plans to reduce crude oil sales in favor of exporting domestic products. He added that the sales of crude oil have made the country more dependent on other countries and added that exports must be encouraged to make up for expensive production inside the country.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
The presidential contestants took turns to express their views on Mir-Salim's remarks with Rouhani saying that his administration has managed to open Iran's export markets through the signing and implementation of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He added that if the country does not exploit shared energy fields, the neighboring states will extract their oil reserves. Jahangiri said the 11th administration has considerably reduced the export of raw materials.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Ebrahim Raisi said the building of refineries in various provinces would reduce crude oil sales and criticized that no measure has been carried out in this regard. He added that there is currently no serious will to fight the smuggling of goods in the country. Hashemitaba said export-oriented domestic production would help reduce the smuggling of goods. Ghalibaf said people with vested interest in smuggling have prevented solving the problem.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Mir-Salim retook the podium to respond to the candidates' questions, saying Iran must work with its neighboring countries to safeguard shared energy fields. He added that the administration of President Rouhani has failed to use the JCPOA to boost Iran's foreign trade. He stressed the importance of the access to modern technology in order to improve exports.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Hassan Rouhani, the third candidate at the podium, used his four-minute time to express his plans to solve the problems in the country's banking system. He said Iran's banking system needs fundamental reforms. The incumbent president added that his administration has managed to double the capital of state-run banks to get more active in the economic sector.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
The presidential candidates took turns to express their views on Rouhani's remarks with Jahangiri saying the previous administration had brought about the depletion of bank resources. He added that the his administration is implementing the development plan for banks to help them become active in production. Raisi said the 11th administration blames its predecessor for all of the problems. Raisi added that the current administration has left the country in limbo for four years. Mostafa Hashemitaba said the banking problems were handed down to the 11th administration by its predecessor.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the administration of President Rouhani has failed in properly supervising and managing banks and added that liquidity has tripled under the present administration. Mostafa Mir-Salim said the banking system is currently based on usury, adding that the 11th administration is required to be more serious in dealing with the banking problems.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Rouhani retook to the podium to use his five-minute time to answer the debate question. He asked why the judiciary has not dealt with financial problems caused by the previous administration. The incumbent president said his administration has greatly reduced bank arrears and put banks back to the right course.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Mostafa Hashemitaba, the fourth candidate taking to the podium, answered a debate question about his plans for prosperity of domestic production. He said the modernization of the agriculture sector should be the first step for bringing prosperity to domestic production. He said the export-oriented production, investment attraction and bank reforms are other needed steps in this regard and added that domestic capital must be used to promote Iran's exports.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
The presidential hopefuls took turn to express their views about Hashemitaba's comments with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf saying the current production problems are rooted in the mismanagement of the country's affairs. Mir-Salim said many production problems are a result of the administration's inattention to the economic recession. Rouhani said production prosperity needs further investment and a proper use of technology. Eshaq Jahangiri said the private sector is the key to production and investment in the country and added that the 11th administration has succeeded in bringing stability back to the Iranian economy. Raisi said 250,000 businesses shut down under the current administration.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Hashemitaba retook to the podium to use his five-minute time to give responses to the candidates' question, saying the country's industry will fail if it is not export-oriented. He added that many businesses shut down due to the worn-out technology used in them. He said some media outlets undermine any step taken to attract foreign investment.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
As the fifth candidate taking to the podium, Ebrahim Raisi explained his plans for the implementation of the subsidies law. He said the 11th administration's policies have led to increasing poverty inside the country and added that subsidies handed out to lower deciles must increase.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
The presidential contenders took turns to express their views on Raisi's remarks with Hashemitaba, saying the incumbent administration has been successful in containing inflation. Ghalibaf said entrepreneurs were under tremendous pressure as a result of the country's economic problems. Mir-Salim said domestic production has been damaged over the past four years. Rouhani said some people are willing to revive methods used by the previous administration and urged the continuation of cash handouts and the implementation of social security plan. Jahangiri said the existing problems are a result of wrong policies adopted by the previous administration and added that increasing cash handouts would destroy the country's economy.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Raisi retook to the podium to answer the candidates' questions in five minutes. He expressed his readiness to hold a one-on-one debate with Rouhani on his wrong policies.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf took to the podium to answer a question in four minutes about his plans for boosting the country's economic growth. He said Iran is facing full-fledged economic crisis and added that President Hassan Rouhani's administration has not been successful in solving the country's economic crisis. The mayor of Tehran said tax evasion in Iran amounts to 40 percent, adding that the creation of job opportunities is the most important step for boosting the economic growth.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
The presidential hopefuls took turns to express their views on Ghalibaf's remarks with Mir-Salim saying the Rouhani administration has failed to observe the principles of Economy of Resistance. Rouhani said Ghalibaf must explain his plans for achieving 26 percent economic growth rate. Eshaq Jahangiri said the candidates must explain if they are capable of attracting foreign investment. Raeisi said oil accounts for the lion's share of national seven percent economic growth rate. Hashemitaba also made comments on Ghalibaf's comments.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
The mayor of Tehran retook to the podium to answer the debate questions, vowing that his administration will certainly create five million jobs, including 1.5 million jobs for rural districts, if elected. Ghalibaf said prosperity of the housing sector and tourism are among his main plans and added that it is possible to increase the country's revenue 2.5 times.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
With all the six candidates having taken to the podium, the moderator announced the end of the first section of the debate and called a 15-minute break before the beginning of the second round.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
In the second section, each candidate was given two minutes to answer a question raised by the moderator. Draws determined the candidate and the question posed to him. Ghalibaf, going first, explained his plans to boost productivity in the agriculture sector and said Iran must become self-sufficient in the production of vital agricultural products. He added that fighting corruption is a prerequisite for success in becoming self-sufficient. As per the draw, Ebrahim Raisi next responded to a question about his plans to fight economic corruption and said corrupt structures must be addressed by administration officials.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
He urged due sensitivity to handle the corruption cases. Mostafa Hashemitaba was asked about his plans to reform the taxation system and said the presidential candidates must clarify the sources used to fund their campaigns. He added that the tax revenues must be made transparent through a comprehensive tax system. Rouhani, for his part, responded to a question about his plans to stop the growth of liquidity. Eshaq Jahangiri answered a question about his plans to promote auto industry's quality. Mostafa Mir-Salim, the last candidate speaking in this part, explained his plans to help the growth of science-based businesses.


2017 Iranian presidential election debates, Debates, Third debate, Summary
In the final segment of the debate, the six candidates offered their concluding remarks which was mainly a summary of their previous comments.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake
On 12 November 2017 at 18:18 UTC (21:48 Iran Standard Time, 21:18 Arabia Standard Time), an earthquake with a moment magnitude of 7.3 occurred on the Iran–Iraq border, with the Iraqi Kurdish city of Halabja, and the Kurdish dominated places of Ezgeleh, Salas-e Babajani County, Kermanshah Province in Iran,  closest to the epicentre, 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of the city of Halabja, Iraqi Kurdistan.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake
It was felt as far away as Israel and the United Arab Emirates. With at least 630 people killed (mostly in Iraq's Kurdish Halabja area and the Iranian Kurdish dominated province of Kermanshah), and more than 8,100 injured, as well as many more unaccounted for, it was the deadliest earthquake of 2017.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Tectonic setting
The earthquake was located within the Zagros fold and thrust belt, part of the broad and complex zone of continental collision between the Arabian and Eurasian Plates. At this location, the relative convergence of the plates is about 26 mm per year. The convergence is quite oblique to the Zagros belt, although it is partitioned into orthogonal dip-slip motion within the active thrust belt and dextral (right lateral) strike-slip motion along the Main Recent Fault to the northeast of the Zagros Mountains.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Earthquake
The earthquake occurred near the Iran–Iraq border, approximately 220 kilometres (140 mi) northeast of Baghdad. According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake measured 7.3 on the moment magnitude scale and was caused by movement on a thrust fault dipping at a shallow angle to the northeast. The epicentre was at a depth of 19.0 kilometres (11.8 mi), and the maximum perceived intensity was IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Earthquake
This was the strongest earthquake recorded in the region since a 6.1 Mw event in January 1967. The earthquake was felt throughout the Middle East and as far away as Israel, the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey. The Iranian seismological centre registered at least 50 aftershocks within a few hours of the earthquake.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Aftermath, Casualties and damage
The province of Kermanshah was the most affected area along with the cities of Halabja, Iraq and Sarpol-e Zahab being the hardest-hit. Ezgeleh was the nearest city to the epicentre of the earthquake. More than half of the Iranian casualties were from Sarpol-e-Zahab and the Ezgeleh District, which have a combined population of over 30,000. Officials announced that schools in Kermanshah and Ilam provinces would be closed following the quake.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Aftermath, Casualties and damage
630 people died. More than 7,000 others were injured. In Sarpol-e Zahab, the hospital was damaged and at least 142 people were killed, many who had lived in social housing complexes built by former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. At least seven people were killed and another 500 injured in neighbouring Iraq, according to officials in Iraqi Kurdistan. Further damages were seen as possible due to the threat of landslides induced by the shallow depth of the earthquake.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Aftermath, Casualties and damage
The earthquake left about 70,000 people homeless across 14 Iranian provinces, destroying approximately 12,000 homes and damaging another 15,000. Relief camps in Iran distributed 22,000 tents and 52,000 blankets in the days after the earthquake. On 17 November, the Iranian government announced that the disaster has caused at least €5 billion of damage.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Aftermath, Casualties and damage
In Sarpol-e Zahab, some residents blamed the widespread destruction on poor construction quality and government corruption. It was noted that older buildings remained standing, while many newer blocks collapsed.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Aftermath, Aid
Turkey was the first country to offer aid, through its Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, announcing that 92 rescue personnel were on standby, together with 4,000 tents and 7,000 blankets.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Aftermath, Aid
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said the bloc was ready to cooperate with Iran in providing emergency relief aid, and Italy's government issued orders to send 12 tonnes of tents, blankets and mobile kitchens on 13 November.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Aftermath, Aid
The International Committee of the Red Cross had arrived by 13 November. Sunni charities, such as the Iranian Call and Reform Organisation, were providing tents and water. Rescue dogs were also used by the Iranian Red Crescent in order to search for survivors.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Aftermath, Aid
The South Korean actress Lee Young-ae donated $45,000 to the Embassy of Iran in Seoul to help the victims of the earthquake.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Aftermath, Aid
On 14 November, Iranian minister of foreign affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed his gratitude for all the sympathy and offers of assistance Iran has received but declared that his country can manage the situation with its own resources for the time being.


2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake, Aftermath, Aid
It was also reported that the Iranian Officials were visiting various affected places to provide assistance, according to CNN.


2017 Iraq FA Cup Final
The 2017 Iraq FA Cup Final was the 27th final of the Iraq FA Cup. The match was contested between Al-Zawraa and Naft Al-Wasat, at Al-Sinaa Stadium in Baghdad. It was played on 22 August 2017 to be the final match of the competition.


2017 Iraq FA Cup Final
Al-Zawraa made their record 17th appearance in the Iraq FA Cup final while Naft Al-Wasat, based in Najaf, became the first ever team from outside Baghdad to reach the final. Al-Zawraa won the match 1–0 with a stoppage time goal from Alaa Abdul-Zahra, for the club's record 15th title.


2017 Iraq FA Cup Final
The winners of the cup, Al-Zawraa, qualified for the 2018 AFC Cup as well as the 2017 Iraqi Super Cup, which they won by beating league champions Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.


2017 Iraq FA Cup Final, Route to the Final
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).


2017 Iraqi Super Cup
The 2017 Iraqi Super Cup was the 8th edition of the Iraqi Super Cup, and the first since the competition's name was changed from Iraqi Perseverance Cup to Iraqi Super Cup. The match was contested between the Baghdad rivals, Al-Zawraa and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, at Karbalaa International Stadium in Karbalaa. It was played on 17 November 2017 as a curtain-raiser to the 2017–18 season. Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya made their 5th appearance in the Super Cup while Al-Zawraa extended their record to 6 appearances. Al-Zawraa won the cup on penalties for the club's 4th title, a record.


2017 Iraqi Super Cup
Before the game, the Iraq Football Association decided that if the final was to finish as a draw after 90 minutes, the match would go straight to a penalty shootout, with no extra-time played. This turned out to be the case due to the last-minute Al-Zawraa equalising goal from Ali Rehema.


2017 Iraqi Super Cup, Pre-match
Iraq international goalkeeper Wissam Gassid, who played for both clubs, had a retirement ceremony before kick-off.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
The 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, also known as the Kirkuk Crisis, was a conflict in which the Iraqi government retook disputed territories in Iraq which had been held by the Peshmerga since ISIL's Northern Iraq offensive in 2014. The conflict began on 15 October 2017 after tensions arising from the Kurdistan Region independence referendum of 25 September. The tension between the federal Iraqi government and Kurdistan Region escalated into conflict when the Peshmerga ignored repeated warnings to return Kirkuk to Iraqi government forces. Part of the conflict was the Battle of Kirkuk, when Iraqi forces regained control of the city.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
As a result of the conflict, Kurdistan Region withdrew from 20% of the territory they held.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Background
The President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani, facilitated the Iraqi Kurdistan independence referendum in September 2017. This provoked the Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi to demand that the referendum result be cancelled, and called on the KRG to initiate dialogue "in the framework of the constitution".


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Iraqi advances and clashes
The Kurdish Peshmerga ignored a deadline given by the Iraqi Government to withdraw from disputed areas by 15 October 2017. This led to the Iraqi forces and the PMU retaking Kirkuk and its province the next day. Within 15 hours, the city of Kirkuk and the nearby K-1 Air Base, along with surrounding oilfields, were retaken by Iraqi forces. The international coalition described the events as "coordinated movements, not attacks", with most Peshmerga withdrawing without much of a fight.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Iraqi advances and clashes
This was likely due to the fact that Héro Talabani, Lahur Talabany and Bafel Talabani (three leaders of the Talabani faction within the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) struck a backdoor deal with Qasem Suleimani on behalf of the leaders of the advancing Iraqi troops, in which they agreed to simply withdraw Talabani-affiliated PUK armed forces from Kirkuk without a fight and also without notifying either the KDP Peshmerga, PUK Peshmerga Commander Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa, or PUK President Kosrat Rasul Ali.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Iraqi advances and clashes
This, in turn, led to the collapse of Kurdish defenses, and led to accusations of betrayal on part of the Talabani family by the KDP and by PUK leaders Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa and Kosrat Rasul Ali. Only the day before the Battle of Kirkuk, the KDP and PUK had met in Dukan regarding Kirkuk and jointly agreed to fight. On the same day, Iraqi forces retook the predominantly Turkmen city of Tuz Khurmatu in Saladin Governorate, 60 km south of Kirkuk, as well as Kifri in Diyala Governorate.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Iraqi advances and clashes
On 17 October 2017, ISIL attacked the villages of Makha, and Twelha, just north of Kirkuk. The Iraqi advance also continued, with further gains including Khanaqin near the Iranian border, as well as Jalawla, Bashiqa, and Sinjar towards Syria.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Iraqi advances and clashes
A statement from the Iraqi military on 18 October 2017, confirmed that the Mosul dam and other previously Kurdish-held territories in Nineveh province had been taken from the Peshmerga. Ali Akbar Khafaji, an Iraqi police officer, claimed eight PMU fighters and one Peshmerga fighter were killed in clashes that broke out after the PMU failed to heed the Peshmerga's warnings to not advance on the Mosul dam.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Iraqi advances and clashes
By 19 October 2017, according to Erbil's governor, 100,000 ethnic Kurds had fled the city of Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu following the victory by Iraqi forces, with 18,000 Kurds taking shelter in Erbil and Sulaimaniyah. The next day, Hemin Hawrami, a senior assistant to KRG President Masoud Barzani, said in a post on Twitter that 57,000 families from Kirkuk were in need of "immediate assistance" after arriving in various parts of Iraqi Kurdistan and taking shelter in unfinished housing units, having fled from "violence, looting and crimes" perpetrated by the Iranian-trained and largely Shi'ite Popular Mobilization Forces.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Iraqi advances and clashes
Kirkuk police called on the media not to publish rumors. The United Nations released a statement saying it was concerned about reports of violence and the forced displacement of Kurdish civilians, and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. It was further reported that UN relief offices received reports that in the town of Tuz Khurmatu, 150 houses were burned and 11 houses were blown up.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Iraqi advances and clashes
The UN noted PM Haider al-Abadi's acknowledgement of incidents in Tuz Khurmatu, caused by what he described as extremist elements from both sides and his decision to send the Iraqi army to restore order in Tuz Khurmatu, as well as the requests of the political and security leaderships of the country for federal and local security forces to act in full respect for law and order and protect civilians and political leaders. The PM accused social media instigators of posting fake videos of the alleged violations. The Niqash website confirmed this increase of false news, as well as hundreds of fake videos & pictures. Leaders on both sides say this is leading to a dangerous escalation of tensions in northern Iraq.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Iraqi advances and clashes
On 19 October 2017, one person was killed and three wounded in a protest against Iraqi forces in Khanaqin. A group of about 150 to 200 unarmed youth carrying Kurdistan flags were protesting, demanding that Iraqi forces leave the city, Col. Azad Isa, Khanaqin's police chief, told Rudaw Kurdish Network. The demonstration was small but energetic, ending with some dancing before they all left. Many said they just wanted the local police to have a presence in town and were not concerned with the larger political struggle over Kurdish independence.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Iraqi advances and clashes
On 20 October 2017, a battle took place in the predominantly Turkmen town of Altun Kupri as Iraqi forces moved towards it. Iraq's Joint Operations Command stated that Peshmerga had used MILAN missiles in the battle, which led to Iraqi criticism as the missiles were given by Germany to the Peshmerga in order to be used against ISIL. The Peshmerga denied they had used the missiles. Earlier, Germany had said it would temporarily stop training Kurdish Peshmerga forces. However, training began again after a week's interruption. Kurdish sources also reported that over 150 PMU fighters were killed or wounded. This was considered to be the first significant battle in which the Peshmerga put up a heavy resistance, whereas in other disputed areas they withdrew after the arrival of Iraqi forces.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Iraqi advances and clashes
By the end of 20 October, Iraqi forces had seized complete control of Kirkuk province. Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) meanwhile denied that Hashd al-Shaabi (PMU) fighters were present among the troops that advanced on Altun Kupri, claiming the troops were Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces. It added that two soldiers were killed and five others wounded in the clashes that erupted when they captured the town.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Subsequent events
On 24 October 2017, Peshmerga KDP forces were told that the checkpoint in Makhmur would be handed over as per agreements between the Iraqi government and the Kurdish Regional government. However, upon arrival at the checkpoint, the Peshmerga surrounded the Iraqi troops. Twenty Iraqi soldiers were arrested, two killed, and eight more were wounded by the Peshmerga. The PUK accused the Peshmerga KDP of mistreating those who had been arrested by them, and all Iraqi soldiers were released after the Peshmerga command intervened against a local Peshmerga garrison acting against orders.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Subsequent events
On 25 October 2017, Iraqi forces seized the Rabia border crossing with Syria after the withdrawal of Syrian Kurdish forces. On the same day, the KRG made a statement offering to freeze the results of the referendum as part of an offer to defuse the crisis. The statement also called for a ceasefire and a halt to all military operations in the northern region. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi rejected the proposal, adding that the Iraqi central government "will accept only the canceling of the referendum and following the constitution."


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Subsequent events
On 26 October 2017 at 06:00 hrs, Iraqi federal police and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) began a four-pronged assault on Peshmerga positions in Zummar; from Bardiya and Hamad Agha towards Ain Ouais, from Mosharaf towards Sufaya, and from Rabia towards Mahmoudiya. The Kurdistan Security Council claimed that Peshmerga had destroyed three tanks, five US-supplied Humvees and one Badger and repelled the attempts of the Iraqi forces to retake Faysh Khabur. However, Iraqi and PMU forces managed to retake two villages, Jazronia & Mahmoudiya, as they attempted to advance towards the town of Faysh Khabur, near the Iraqi-Syrian-Turkish border triangle. Some reports meanwhile indicated that Masoud Barzani might announce that he would step down as president of the KRG.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Subsequent events
On 27 October, the Kurdish Regional Government stated that Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters had agreed to stop fighting in northern Iraq, although the status of any ceasefire remained unclear. A CJTF-OIR spokesman earlier said the deal covered all fronts of conflict. However, he later denied that truce had been officially agreed. The coalition's spokesman, Col. Ryan Dillon, denied that a ceasefire had been reached, retreating from his earlier announcement of a ceasefire between both sides, tweeting, "I incorrectly said in an interview with (Kurdish TV) Rudaw English that there was a cease-fire between Iraqi and Kurdish forces." Iraqi PM al-Abadi later ordered a 24-hour truce to allow a peaceful deployment of Iraqi troops at border crossings with the Kurdistan region.


2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict, Subsequent events
On 29 November, after claims of ethnic cleansing and the destruction of Kurdish homes, shops and businesses in Tuz Khurmatu and claims of discrimination and oppression against the Kurdish residents of the city by the PMU, the 'Kurdistan Liberation Army' was formed composing of 200 Kurdish volunteers in Tuz Khurmatu. Clashes occurred, in which 8 PMU fighters were killed, and one Kurdish volunteer wounded. Kurdistan24 posted footage of the fighting and unverified graphic videos showed dead bodies of the Turkmen PMU stationed in Tuz Khurmatu. There had been clashes in Kirkuk between volunteers nearly every day in the previous month between Kurdish volunteers and PMU.