Anyone? , 80 people registered, the registration process for Iranian presidential election candidates ended Qalibaf | Candidate | Khamenei

According to reports, the candidate registration process for Iran’s 14th presidential election ended on June 3, with 80 people registered, including the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and the Mayor of Tehran. Some analysts believe that Iran will not "take risks" in this sudden presidential election.

After Iranian President Raisi was killed in a helicopter accident on May 19, the Iranian government, parliament and judicial leaders decided to hold a new presidential election on June 28 in accordance with the constitution.

On May 26, Iran's Interior Minister Vahidi issued a decree officially announcing the launch of the presidential election process.

According to the election schedule, candidate registration will be carried out from May 30 to June 3, and the campaign will start from June 12 to 27.

It is reported that candidates must meet the basic requirements in terms of age, education, management experience and no criminal record, including being between 40 and 75 years old and having at least a master's degree.

There are 80 people registered to run this time, among which the ones that have attracted more attention are:

The 62-year-old Qalibaf’s close ties with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have attracted much attention. He served in the Guard during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. He was also a trained pilot.

After the war, Qalibaf led the country's reconstruction efforts for many years. Since then, Qalibaf has successively led the air force and police departments of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. During this period, Qalibaf modernized the police force and introduced a police hotline mechanism.

Qalibaf also served as mayor of Tehran and ran unsuccessfully for president in 2005 and 2013. In 2017, he withdrew from the presidential race and supported Leahy, who was unsuccessful that year.

Like late President Leahy, Qalibaf is seen as a hardline conservative who favors confrontation with the West.

During the registration process for this presidential election, one detail is worth noting. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on June 3 that Iran needs a president who is "active, diligent, dedicated, and loyal to the basic principles of the 1979 Islamic Revolution."

Qalibaf later said: "Concern for the future of the country is one of the reasons why elites and entrepreneurs asked me to run in the elections...Who else can take the responsibility of getting the job done?"

Qalibaf said that the efforts of the government and parliament to solve people's livelihood issues are in the harvest stage, and his candidacy for president aims to complete this cause. He will continue the path of Leahy and the late senior general Soleimani. Soleimani, considered a hero in Iran, was killed in a US airstrike in January 2020.

Like other candidates, Qalibaf did not directly address topics related to the Iran nuclear deal. In this regard, Khamenei plays a tone-setting role.

Ahmadinejad served as President of Iran from 2005 to 2013. During this period, his tough foreign policy led to an overall deterioration in relations between Iran and Western countries. Iran was severely sanctioned by the West and Iran's economic development was seriously affected. Reformist forces in Iran are quite complaining about this.

Today, reports say Ahmadinejad remains popular among the poor thanks to grassroots advocacy and housing-building plans.

Ahmadinejad said that Iran's political, economic, cultural and security situation are completely different from those ten years ago. As a presidential candidate, he sought "constructive engagement" with the world and improved economic relations with all countries.

Jalili, former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and former chief nuclear negotiator

Jalili, 58, lost to Rouhani in the 2013 presidential election. In the 2021 presidential election, he dropped out of the race and supported Leahy. He is also seen as a hardline conservative.

Jahangiri is seen as a veteran reformist who served as first vice president under moderate conservative former President Rouhani. The comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue was reached during Rouhani's term.

Larijani, 66, is also close to Rouhani.

Larijani has served as adviser to Iran's supreme leader, speaker of parliament, and chief negotiator on the Iranian nuclear issue. In 2007, Larijani resigned as chief negotiator on the Iranian nuclear issue and was replaced by Jalili.

In 2021, Larijani registered to participate in the presidential election, but failed to pass the qualification review of Iran's Constitutional Guardian Council.

This time, Larijani was one of the first well-known figures to register to run. He said that if elected as president, he would prioritize "resolving the sanctions issue" and work on developing the economy.

In contrast, Jahangiri and Larijani are seen as moderate reformers willing to engage in dialogue with the West.

Other candidates include Tehran Mayor Zakani, Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ismaili, Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehradad Basilpash, etc.

After the registration of candidates is completed, Iran's Constitutional Guardian Council said that the 12-member Constitutional Guardian Council will conduct a qualification review of the candidates.

Iran's Ministry of Interior is expected to announce the list of approved candidates on June 11. Candidates will campaign from June 12 to 27, including live televised debates.

At the same time, observers are closely watching which candidate Khamenei will prefer.

Some analysts believe that in this sudden presidential election, Iran will continue its hardline and conservative line and will not "take risks." What will be interesting to watch is whether this route will continue at the same pace or accelerate.

In addition, polls indicate that turnout in the upcoming election may exceed 50%.

Iranian businessman Mahdi said he might vote if he felt a candidate could revive the nuclear deal. "If there's a candidate who can stop things from getting worse and help ease sanctions, I'll probably vote."

When this election comes, the situation inside and outside Iran is not peaceful.

In 2018, the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement and re-imposed sanctions on Iran. To make matters worse, as a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict spilled over in October last year, the United States and Europe imposed sanctions on Iran in response to Iran's retaliatory strikes against Israel.

Although the Supreme Leader plays a leading role in a range of national affairs, many presidents in the past have played a certain role in handling US-Iran relations. In addition, Khamenei is 85 years old, and speculation about his successor continues to surface. Therefore, this presidential election may affect the future of this country to some extent.