Iran approves 6 candidates for presidential election, again bars Ahmadinejad
Iran's Guardian Council approved six candidates, including the hard-line parliament speaker, to run in the presidential election set for June 28.
Once again, the council has barred former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, known for the controversial crackdown following his 2009 re-election.
Approved candidates include former Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, both prominent conservative figures. Other approved candidates are former lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian, former minister Mostafa Pourmohamadi, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, and former lawmaker Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi.
The Guardian Council rejected the candidacy of former Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, who was anticipated to be the leading reformist candidate. Additionally, former Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, believed to have reformist support, was also disqualified.
Both Jahangiri and Larijani had been disqualified by the 12-member council in the 2021 presidential election, when Abdolnasser Hemmati stood as the sole reformist candidate against Raisi. Hemmati, who attempted to run again this year, faced rejection once more.
Speculation suggests that Ghalibaf, recently re-elected as parliament speaker, will emerge as the primary conservative candidate after the presidential debates, given his strong support from lawmakers. Among reformists, Pezeshkian is expected to be the main contender.
The upcoming snap presidential vote on June 28 follows the tragic death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19 in northwestern Iran. Approved candidates will have two weeks to campaign before the election.
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