Seven of About 590 Candidates Approved to Run in Iran's Presidential Election
On 5/25/21 at 9:43 AM EDT
Seven of about 590 candidates were approved Tuesday to run in Iran's presidential election on June 18, with some barred from running because of their alliances to President Hassan Rouhani.
The most prominent candidate is Ebrahim Raisi, Iran's judiciary chief and a cleric who is linked to mass executions in the country in 1988. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is believed to favor Raisi.
Raisi said he wants election authorities to reconsider some of the candidates that were prevented from running. "I have made contacts and I am holding consultations to make the election scene more competitive and participatory," he tweeted.