Iran approves 6 candidates for presidential race

Tehran: Iran has announced the names of six qualified candidates for the country’s early presidential election scheduled for June 28.

The final nominees are Mostafa Pourmohammadi, Masoud Pezeshkian, Saeed Jalili, Alireza Zakani, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi.

Pourmohammadi, 64, used to serve as Iran’s Interior Minister and Justice Minister, Xinhua news agency reported.

Pezeshkian, 70, was Iran’s Health Minister during 2001-2005.

Jalili, 59, was a chief negotiator in the nuclear talks between Tehran and world powers and was a qualified candidate for the presidential race in 2013 and 2021. He withdrew his candidacy in 2021 in favour of the late President Ebrahim Raisi.

Zakani, 58, is the incumbent Mayor of the Iranian capital Tehran.

Qalibaf, 63, is the current Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and was among the qualified candidates in the presidential race in 2005, 2013 and 2017.

A former lawmaker, Ghazizadeh Hashemi, 53, is currently the country’s Vice-President.

After the announcement, the final candidates can start their electoral campaigns which can last until June 27.

A total of 80 candidates initially signed up from May 30 to June 3 to compete in the race for the country’s top executive position.

The 14th presidential election, originally scheduled for 2025, was brought forward due to the unexpected death of President Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19 in the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan.

Mohammad Mokhber, the former first Vice-President, currently serves as the Acting President following Iran’s Constitution.