Iran’s Ahmadinejad, Larijani Barred From Running In Presidential Poll

Iran has approved seven hopefuls to stand in a June 18 presidential poll, with judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi among the mainly ultraconservative candidates while former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and former parliament speaker Ali Larijani were barred from running.

Also barred was former hard-line president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Rouhani’s senior Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, a reformist.

Ahmadinejad ignored a warning from Khamenei in 2017 and registered, only to be rejected then as well by the Guardian Council, a 12-member panel under Khamenei.

During an earlier session of parliament Tuesday, lawmaker Ahmad Alirezabeigi described Ahmadinejad’s home as being “under siege” by security forces since the day before.

He also warned that the decision would suppress turnout. Iran’s theocracy since its 1979 Islamic Revolution has based its legitimacy, in part, on turnout in elections.