TEHRAN – Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who was elected as the speaker of the new Iranian parliament on May 28, registered to run for the post of president on Monday.

Qalibaf told reporters that the “elites” had asked him to compete in the presidential election. He said experience and skill are needed for the post. 

Qalibaf had campaigned for president in 2005 and 2013. Again, he nominated for presidency in 2017 but withdrew candidacy in favor of Ebrahim Raisi.

Iran is holding snap elections as Ebrahim Raisi, who was elected president in 2021, died in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran on May 19. The election will be held on June 28.

Constitutionally, Iran should hold presidential election within 50 days in case president dies or dismissed from his post.

The other leading figure, Es'haq Jahangiri, who served as first vice president under President Hassan Rouhani from 2013 to 2021, also fielded candidacy on Monday.

Jahangiri also told reporters that he has decided to enter the race in the hope of taking steps to correct the existing wrong approaches and procedures and create new capacities.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced that 80 persons had registered by Monday, the final date of registration.

Despite expectations, interim president Mohammad Mokhber did not field candidacy.

The candidates must be approved by the Guardian Council. The 12-member supervisory body will release the final list of qualified candidates on June 11.

Those endorsed by the vetting body will have two weeks to campaign, present their manifestos and attend televised debates before the election.

Some other high-profile candidates from the principlist, pro-reform and centrist factions have nominated over the past days.

They include former parliament speaker Ali Larijani, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed and secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former central banker Abdolnaser Hemmati, Mehrdad Bazrpash, the current transport and housing minister, and Solat Mortazavi, minister of labor and social welfare.

Four former female members of Parliament -Zohreh Elahian, Hajar Chenarani, Hamideh Zarabadi and Rafat Bayat - also filed their names to run for the presidency, Press TV reported.