Results emerging on Sunday from Friday’s elections across Iran signalled a bruising setback for Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, just 19 months after he won a landslide victory to become Iran’s president.

The Pleasant Scent of Service, a candidate list endorsed by Mr Ahmadi-Nejad in the local elections, failed to make a nationwide breakthrough and, with partial results announced, was set to be a minority on the 15-seat Tehran city council.