Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf withdrew from Iran’s presidential race Monday, paving the way for a head-to-head battle between President Hassan Rouhani and his leading hardline challenger in this week’s election. Ghalibaf called on his supporters to back conservative cleric and jurist Ebrahim Raisi in Friday’s vote, saying it was vital for the “preservation of … Read more
Registration to run in Iran’s election on May 19 closed on Saturday, with more than 1,600 hopefuls throwing their hats in the ring. The conservative-controlled Guardian Council will whittle that number down over the next fortnight — normally to around half a dozen — with the campaign set to start on April 28. More than … Read more
Registration for next month’s Iranian presidential election closed on Saturday, with more than 1,600 hopefuls signing up, including a last-minute entry by Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The 55-year-old conservative mayor had given mixed signals about whether he would make a third bid for the presidency, but showed up at the interior ministry just before … Read more