Iran has approved six candidates for the upcoming snap presidential election, set for June 28, following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.
The Guardian Council, responsible for overseeing elections and legislation, has disqualified former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, among others.
The approved candidates include Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a hardline parliament speaker and former Revolutionary Guards commander; Saeed Jalili, a conservative and former chief nuclear negotiator; and Tehran’s conservative mayor, Alireza Zakani. Also running are Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist lawmaker; Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a former interior minister; and Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, a conservative politician.
State TV announced the official start of their electoral campaigns following the announcement of the final candidate list. The Council also barred former parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, a notable conservative, and several others, including Vahid Haghanian, a former commander in the Revolutionary Guards.
Four women, who had registered their candidacy, were disqualified, continuing the trend since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The election was initially scheduled for 2025 but was moved up due to Raisi’s unexpected demise on May 19.
