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Election race gaining momentum as eight more sign up
Former executive deputy of Iran’s Leader’s office Vadid Haghanian and Iranian lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian were among the eight people who registered on Saturday.
Haghanian said his candidacy was a “personal decision” but he was “fully familiar with the issues of the country”.
Like other hopefuls, Haghanian will have to wait to see if his candidacy is approved by the Guardian Council.
He said he had forged close ties with key officials in state institutions “during 45 years of service in the presidential administration and the office of the Leader”.
Candidate registration opened on Thursday and closes on Monday.
Others who have announced their candidacy include Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani and former lawmaker Zohreh Elahian, the first woman to enter the race.
Ex-Parliament speaker Ali Larijani, former Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati and former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili have also registered.
The Guardian Council will announce the final list of candidates on June 11 after it has completed its vetting procedures.
Candidates must be between the ages of 40 and 75 and have at least a master’s degree, according to Iran’s electoral law.
The 14th presidential elections were originally slated for 2025 but were brought forward due to Raisi’s tragic death on May 19.
Raisi and seven members of his entourage, including foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, were killed when their chopper came down on a fog-shrouded mountainside in the northwestern Iran.