A senior ally of Mir Hossein Mousavi said the moderate candidate was set to defeat current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as polls remained open later to allow citizens to vote.
Meanwhile, an Ahmadinejad adviser dismissed the claim, saying the result was too close to call. The turnout for the hotly contested election was so heavy that voting was extended by three hours, the Interior Ministry said.
The campaign has been bitter, and in a precautionary step, the Interior Ministry said all rallies or political gatherings would be banned until after results are announced, which are expected Saturday. No violence or other unrest has as yet been reported.
Election officials predicted turnout could surpass the nearly 80% in the election 12 years ago that brought President Mohammad Khatami to power and began the pro-reform movement.
The United States, and for that matter, the world, is watching carefully, to see if the hardline Ahmadinejad will be pushed out of power. U.S. President Barack Obama said:
"We are excited to see what appears to be a robust debate taking place in Iran. We think there's the possibility of change.
"Ultimately the election is for the Iranians to decide. But ... you're seeing people looking at new possibilities. And whoever ends up winning the election in Iran, the fact that there's been a robust debate hopefully will help advance our ability to engage them in new ways."
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