Tehran, Iran – As Iran’s presidential election draws closer, the field of candidates has become narrow after two withdrawals, with a sense of suspense lingering as the fate of the election hangs on who stays as two of the strongest candidates are reportedly negotiating.
Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani and government official Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi are out, and a run-off appears inevitable if no one else withdraws amid an air of voter apathy.
Here’s where we are with the Iranian presidential election, which comes a year early due to the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, in a helicopter crash on May 19.
Who’s still running?
Out of 80 people who submitted candidacies, six were approved by the Guardian Council, a constitutional vetting body, and out of them, the following remain:
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the conservative incumbent parliament speaker, used to be mayor of Tehran, police chief, and commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Saeed Jalili, the hardline senior member of the Supreme National Security Council, wants the presidency after numerous failed attempts, just like Ghalibaf.
Masoud Pezeshkian, the only moderate candidate allowed to run, is a former health minister and longtime lawmaker who has secured backing from former presidents and other senior centrist and reformist figures.
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