Iran's Board Of Trustees Approves Six Presidential Candidates: Ahmadinejad Crossed Out, Elections Held June 28

Iran elections. (Wikimedia Commons/Tasnim News Agency/Hamedupour)

The six prospective Iranian presidential candidates have received approval from the Board of Trustees to participate in the contest as presidential candidates in the election which will be held on June 28, after President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash.

"With the announcement of the final list of candidates, election activities officially begin," state TV said.

Those approved by the Board of Trustees are Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, chairman of Iran's hardline parliament and former commander of the Revolutionary Guard. There is also Saeed Jalili, a conservative, who is a former head of nuclear negotiator and has served as head of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office for four years. As well as conservative mayor Tehran Alireza Zakani according to state TV.

Next, there is Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist member of parliament. There is also Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a hardline and former interior minister, and Amir-Hossein Ghazadeh Hasemi, a conservative politician.

The council disqualified former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and former parliamentary chairman Ali Larijani, state media said.

Speaking after his registration earlier this month, Ahmadinejad promised to seek "constructive engagement" with the world and improve economic relations with all countries.

"Economic, political, cultural and security issues have gone beyond the situation in 2013," Ahmadinejad said, referring to the year he left his presidency after two terms.

This has been predicted before. Ahmadinejad did not pass the Board of Trustees' assessment in the 2027 election, after differences with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, Ali Larijani was disqualified in the 2021 election.

Moderate politicians accuse the 12-member Board of Trustees of hardline groups of disqualifying rivals from hardline candidates.