Iran Shifts Focus to Presidential Election After Mourning Ebrahim Raisi

Following the mourning period for President Ebrahim Raisi, who tragically passed away in a recent helicopter crash, Iran has redirected its attention to the upcoming presidential election set for next month.

The conservative camp is aiming to install a loyalist to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This has led to a diverse range of hopefuls from various political factions entering the race as the early vote on June 28 approaches.

Registration for presidential candidates will commence on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Iranian lawmakers reaffirmed their choice of former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf as the speaker of parliament. Qalibaf, who has been seen as a potential presidential candidate by insiders and state media, is a significant figure in the political landscape.

Raisi, an ultraconservative, had over a year left in his first term when he died on May 19 in a helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of his foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others. The crash occurred when their helicopter collided with a fog-covered mountainside. The victims were honored with multi-day funeral ceremonies attended by large crowds of mourners.

The June election is taking place during a turbulent period marked by the ongoing Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian militant group backed by Tehran, and ongoing diplomatic tensions regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

Additionally, Iran is facing significant economic challenges exacerbated by the re-imposition of tough international sanctions following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, alongside the aftermath of widespread anti-government protests.

Khamenei has tasked Raisi’s vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, with overseeing interim responsibilities and organizing the June election, according to AP reports.

Media reports suggest Mokhber, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and several prominent former officials plan to run for Iran’s second-highest post.

Among the contenders, ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili was one of the first to declare his bid for the presidency. Other notable hopefuls include moderate former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and centrist Ali Larijani, who previously held the position of parliament speaker.

Populist ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has so far kept voters guessing, stating he is “checking the conditions to decide whether to register.”

“We have to wait for positive developments in the country,” he added. Political expert Abbas Abdi told the reformist newspaper Hammihan that if Iran’s “protesting community” sees an opportunity for change, it “will show its protest, activism, and responsibility through participating in the election.”

He expressed confidence that reformists would win by a large margin if they are allowed to participate — a major concern after many candidates were disqualified ahead of recent elections.

Abdi added that permitting a broad spectrum of candidates to run could foster hope among the populace and lead to high participation.

Under Iran’s electoral procedures, candidates will have a designated period, starting May 30, to officially register their candidacy. However, the final roster depends on the validation process conducted by the conservative-leaning Guardian Council following the June 3 registration deadline.

This 12-member body, responsible for supervising elections, has previously disqualified numerous candidates, including figures like Ahmadinejad and Larijani.

Recent parliamentary and presidential elections have seen a decline in voter turnout despite governmental efforts to encourage participation. Before Iran’s parliamentary elections on March 1, the Guardian Council invalidated tens of thousands of candidates, predominantly from reformist and moderate factions.

This vetting process has consolidated the influence of conservative and ultraconservative politicians in Iran’s political landscape, with the March legislative election recording the lowest voter turnout since 1979.