Iran is preparing for its presidential election on June 28, following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19. Several candidates have registered for the position, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a former president known for his polarizing views and actions during his time in office. Ahmadinejad was first elected as Iran's president in 2005 and served until 2013 when he was barred from standing due to term limits. He advocated checks on the authority of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, leading to a rift between the two. In 2018, Ahmadinejad called for free elections in a rare criticism of Khamenei.
Raisi oversaw mass executions of political prisoners in the late 1980s and cracked down hard on anti-government protests following Mahsa Amini's death in September 2022. Millions attended his funeral at Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Iran on May 26.
Other candidates include Vahid Haghanian, a former commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards who is under US sanctions for his role in advancing the regime's domestic and foreign oppression. Haghanian claims to have forged close ties with key officials in state institutions during 45 years of service.
The Guardian Council, a 12-strong body of jurists dominated by conservatives, will vet all candidates for public office. The council disqualified several reformist and moderate candidates from the last presidential election in 2021.
Iran is facing heightened tensions with the West over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, its arming of Russia in its war on Ukraine, and its wide-reaching crackdowns on dissent. The US has imposed sanctions on several Iranian officials for their roles in domestic and foreign oppression.
The June 28 election was called after Raisi's death. Candidate registration opened on Thursday and closes on Monday.
