Context of the elections
Iran holds presidential elections this Friday, June 28. These elections have been brought forward eleven months due to the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter accident on May 19. Raisi was the acting president and would have continued in office for another four years had this accident not happened. The elections have acquired a character of surprise due to this unexpected situation.
The presidential candidates
The six presidential candidates participated in the last debates on Monday and Tuesday. The country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has urged citizens to vote to disappoint their enemies. The reformist candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, has been cornered by his hard-line rivals during the debates. The focus has been on the contentious issue of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, which was abandoned by former US President Donald Trump in 2018. Hard-line candidates have attacked former moderate President Hassan Rouhani for their management of the agreement and have highlighted their own strategy of neutralizing sanctions and prioritizing regional alliances.
Conservative candidates
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is a conservative pragmatist with a reputation as a good manager and a tough hand. He has held several important positions such as ex-general of the Revolutionary Guard, ex-chief of Police, ex-mayor of Tehran and president of the Parliament. Ghalibaf has highlighted his executive experience during the campaign and has promised to secure a new nuclear deal with the West. He also emphasized the importance of Iran as a proud country.
The ultraconservative Saeed Jalili
Saeed Jalili is an ultraconservative who opposes the West. He has been described as a ‘true product of the Islamic Revolution’ and is considered the closest candidate to President Ebrahim Raisi. Jalili has based his campaign on slogans and considers himself the candidate of the status quo. He does not consider it necessary to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement.
The reformist Masoud Pezeshkian
Masoud Pezeshkian is a heart surgeon and reformist politician. He has surprised with his message of rapprochement with the West and criticism of the veil. Despite initial expectations, he has managed to generate enthusiasm among the Iranian electorate and is leading some polls along with the other two front-runners, the conservative Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and the ultra-conservative Saeed Jalili.
