Who could be Iran's next president?

Iran is set to conduct its presidential election on June 28. The election comes one year after President Ibrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter accident in May.

According to the country's constitution, if a president dies, a new president must be elected within the next 50 days. Consequently, political parties have very little time to officially announce their candidates.

Various factions within Iran's influential conservative parties are currently deliberating on their final candidate. However, many reformist parties and leaders have announced their decision not to participate in this election, citing previous national elections where numerous candidacies were annulled, and the administration's recent crackdowns against dissent and protesters.

Many observers doubt that Iran's elections will be fair or competitive due to the additional influence of powerful institutions in candidate approval processes.

The Guardian Council, which plays a decisive role in Iran's politics, has selected six out of 80 registered candidates for the presidency, including Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, 62, has served as the Speaker of Parliament for the past four years and has twice run for president. He withdrew his candidacy in favor of Ibrahim Raisi in 2021.

Ghalibaf has held high-ranking military responsibilities for an extended period and has served as Tehran's mayor for a record 12 years.

Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi

Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi (53), a nose, ear, and throat surgeon by profession, adheres to Iran's conservative ideals. He has previously served four terms as a parliament member and also served as Deputy to President Ibrahim Raisi. He contested in the 2021 election, showing his support for Raisi.

Masoud Pezeshkian

Masoud Pezeshkian, a 70-year-old heart surgeon, is known for his humble demeanor. He has served five terms as a parliament member and was the health minister for four years.

Pezeshkian has been critical of Iran's political environment and corruption, particularly questioning the government's handling of the police's handling of the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. He is the only reformist candidate officially considered in this presidential election.

Mostafa Mir-Salim

Mostafa Mir-Salim, a 65-year-old politician, is the only clergyman approved by the Guardian Council among six candidates. He became known for his effective work on the Death Committee in 1988, which endorsed the death penalty for political prisoners, including President Raisi.

Alireza Zakani

Alireza Zakani, 59, has been serving as Tehran's mayor for the past three years. He is known as a conservative politician.

Zakani entered politics through the Revolutionary Guard's support of the Basi Camp and served four times as a parliament member