Iran opened a five-day registration period on Thursday for hopefuls wanting to run in the June 28 presidential election to replace the late Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash earlier this month with seven others.
The election comes as Iran grapples with the aftermath of the May 19 crash, as well as heightened tensions between Tehran and the United States, and protests including those over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini that have swept the country.
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While Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 85, maintains the final say over all matters of state, Presidents in the past have bent the Islamic Republic of Iran toward greater interaction or increased hostility with the West.
The five-day period will see those between the ages of 40 to 75 with at least a Master’s degree register as potential candidates. All candidates ultimately must be approved by Iran’s 12-member Guardian Council, a panel of clerics and jurists ultimately overseen by Mr. Khamenei. That panel has never accepted a woman, for instance, nor anyone calling for radical change within the country’s governance.
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Ahmad Vahidi, Iran’s Interior Minister, opened the registration period. The Interior Ministry, in charge of the country’s police, run Iranian elections with no substantial international observation. “These elections, like the parliamentary elections, will be held in complete safety and health, with good competition and wide participation of all dear people,” Mr. Vahidi said.
‘Shortened campaign’
The five-day registration period will close on Tuesday. The Guardian Council is expected to issue its final list of candidates within 10 days afterwards. That will allow for a shortened two-week campaign before the vote in late June.
The new President will take office while the country now enriches uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels and hampers international inspections.
