Former IRGC commander under US sanctions signs up for race

The process of registering candidates for Iran's presidential election began on the morning of May 30 and will last until June 3.

Vahid Haghanian (right) and Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in an undated photo. (Source: iranintl)

According to Iranian media, Mr. Vahid Haghanian, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), on June 1 submitted his application to run for president in the presidential election scheduled to be held on June 28.

Like other candidates, Mr. Haghanian will have to wait to see whether the Guardian Council, a 12-member body of jurists, approves his candidacy. Little is known publicly about Mr. Haghanian’s career in the IRGC.

Like the late President Ebrahim Raisi, Mr. Haghanian has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019. The former IRGC commander said his candidacy was a “personal decision” but that he was fully aware of the country’s problems.

He has built close relationships with key officials in state agencies during his 45 years of service in the presidential administration as well as the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In addition to Mr. Haghanian, several other figures have also announced their candidacies for the presidency, including Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, former MP Zohreh Elahian (the first female candidate to run), former Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani (a moderate), former Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati (a reformist) and former radical nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili.

The Guardian Council will announce the final list of candidates on June 11 after completing the vetting procedures. The body has already excluded several reformist and moderate candidates from the 2021 presidential election, including former Parliament Speaker Larijani.

Iran's presidential election was originally scheduled for 2025 but will be held early after President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash on May 19.

The country’s Ministry of the Interior began accepting applications for presidential candidacy on May 30. The process of registering presidential candidates began on the morning of May 30 and will last until June 3.

Iran's presidential election is scheduled to take place on June 28.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bau-cu-tong-thong-iran-cuu-chi-huy-irgc-dang-chiu-trung-phat-cua-my-dang-ky-gia-nhap-duong-dua-273491.html