A former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) who is under U.S. sanctions and the mayor of Tehran are among the politicians who registered their intent to run in Iran's presidential election later this month.
Vahid Haghanian, the former IRGC commander and a member of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's inner circle, and Teheran Mayor Alireza Zakani will have to wait to see if their candidacies are approved by the Guardians Council, a 12-member body of jurists that vets all candidates for public office.
Candidate registration for the June 28 election closes on June 3. The Guardians Council will announce the final list of candidates on June 11 after it has completed its vetting procedures.
SEE ALSO: Iranian President's Death Could Trigger 'Power Competition' For Next Supreme LeaderThe council disqualified several reformist and moderate candidates from the last presidential election in 2021.
This year's election was called after President Ebrahim Raisi was killed on May 19 in a helicopter crash.
Haghanian was designated for sanctions by the United States in 2019 for his role in Khamenei's "inner circle responsible for advancing the regime's domestic and foreign oppression."
The U.S. Treasury Department said in a news release announcing the sanctions that Haghanian had been "referred to as the supreme leader's right hand.”
His presence close to Khamenei at most ceremonies has been noted, and there had been rumors about his role and influence in Khamenei's office.
Speaking at election headquarters, Haghanian 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 supreme leader."
He said his decision to run was "personal," and he described himself as "fully familiar with the issues of the country."
Zakani, the current mayor of Tehran, was approved by the Guardians Council in the last election. But he withdrew after some of his rivals nicknamed him the "cover candidate" of Raisi.
Zakani, asked by a reporter if he was ready for this year's election, smiled but did not answer.
Masud Pezeshkian, a member of parliament, also entered the Interior Ministry building on June 1 to apply to run in the election. He previously said that he would not be a "cover candidate" for Raisi.
Former lawmaker Zohreh Elahian, who has been designated by the European Union for sanctions, on June 1 became the first woman to successfully apply to run. Four other women previously applied to register, but the head of the country's election headquarters said none of them met the necessary conditions.
Fadahosein Maliki, a member of parliament and the head of the headquarters for combating goods and currency smuggling in the second government of Mahmud Ahmadinejad, also registered his candidacy on June 1.
Former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili on May 30 became the first political heavyweight to register his candidacy. The hard-liner is close to Khamenei and was his chief of staff in the early 2000s. He currently serves as one of Khamenei's two representatives in the Supreme National Security Council.
Another well-known politician who has registered is Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker and nuclear negotiator. He registered his candidacy on May 31.
Once considered a political heavyweight, Larijani was surprisingly disqualified from running in 2021 by the Guardians Council, whose members are directly and indirectly appointed by Khamenei.
Wide disqualifications by the Guardians Council in previous parliamentary and presidential elections and violence against anti-government protesters are among the reasons for low voter turnout.