MADRID - Iran is gearing up for its presidential elections on June 28, following an early call due to the tragic death of President Raisi in a helicopter accident on May 19th, during his third year in office.

On June 9, the Ministry of Interior revealed the final list of qualified candidates to compete in these elections. According to the Constitution, the validation of candidates falls under the responsibility of the Guardian Council, composed of twelve members, half of whom are clerics appointed by the Leader. The remaining six are judges elected by the parliament. Despite lacking legislative powers, the Council plays a crucial role in ratifying all laws passed by parliament to ensure they align with the fundamental Islamic principles of the Islamic Republic.

In addition, according to Article 99 of the Iranian Constitution, the Guardian Council's primary responsibilities include overseeing the electoral processes in the country. Following a thorough analysis of the candidates' profiles, the Council decides to officially approve or reject their nominations.
On this occasion, the Council did not approve the candidacies of prominent figures such as former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Larijani, former Speaker of Parliament, nor that of former Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri.

The six candidates approved by the Guardian Council, and thus eligible to participate in the elections, are: Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Saeed Jalili, Alireza Zakani, Masoud Pezeshkian, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, and Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi.
 

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf: Born in 1961 in the province of Mashhad, is the current President of the Parliament. Throughout his career, Qalibaf has held prominent roles in Iranian politics. He served as the Mayor of Tehran from September 2005 to September 2017, following his tenure as the Commander of the Police and the Air Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from 1998 to 2005. Additionally, he is an associate professor and faculty member in the Department of Political Geography at the University of Tehran.
Qalibaf has been a presidential candidate on three previous occasions:

- In 2005, he finished fourth in a field that included Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mehdi Karroubi, Mostafa Moeen, Ali Larijani, and Mohsen Mehralizadeh.

- In 2013, he secured second place in competition against Hassan Rouhani, Saeed Jalili, Mohsen Rezaee, Ali Akbar Velayati, and Mohammad Gharazi. During these elections, Qassam Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, publicly supported Qalibaf, with whom he had developed a friendship during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

- In 2017, he withdrew from the race to support the late President Ebrahim Raisi.

Qalibaf is considered the frontrunner in the upcoming elections.
 

Saeed Jalili: Born in 1965 in Mashhad, is a prominent Iranian politician and diplomat with a PhD in Political Science. During the Iran-Iraq War, Jalili volunteered in the Basij paramilitary forces and was injured in the leg during Operation Kerbala 5.

In the 1990s, Jalili began his career in the office of the Supreme Leader, initially serving as Director General of Inspections. During this period, he played a crucial role in oversight, reporting, and strategy formulation across various sectors of the country. With the advent of the ninth government in 2005, he rose to the position of Deputy Secretary for Europe and America in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in 2007, he was appointed as the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

Jalili has been involved in the "Committee to Combat Economic Crimes" and the "Council for Special Economic Strategies" within the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council. He also chaired the "Committee to Counteract Sanctions" and was appointed by the Supreme Leader as a representative to the Supreme National Security Council. He has been an active member of the Expediency Discernment Council and the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations.

He ran for president in the 2013 elections unsuccessfully and withdrew his candidacy in the 2017 elections in support of Ebrahim Raisi. Jalili also headed the nuclear negotiation team.
 

Alireza Zakani: He was born in 1966 in Shahr-e Rey, Tehran Province. He is a faculty member at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, where he also serves as an associate professor of nuclear medicine. In addition, Zakani holds the position of mayor of Tehran and is recognized for his prominent role within the conservative movement, both in party structures and organizational capacities.

From the year 2000 until 2020, Zakani served as a deputy in the Iranian parliament. During President Raisi's administration, he was appointed as the president's assistant for managing social affairs in Tehran, consolidating his influence in local politics.

In his youth, starting from the late 1970s, Zakani held significant responsibilities within the Basij student organization at universities in Tehran Province. Between 2000 and 2003, he chaired the National Basij Student Organization, strengthening his leadership within the conservative movement.

In 2008, he co-founded the Society of Followers of the Islamic Revolution with the support of conservative political activists, and was elected as its secretary general at its first congress. During the 2021 presidential elections, Zakani initially ran as a candidate but later withdrew to support the candidacy led by Ebrahim Raisi.
 

Masoud Pezeshkian: He was born in 1954 in Mahabad. He holds a doctorate in general medicine and is a specialist in general surgery from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, with further specialization in cardiac surgery. Currently, he serves as a parliamentarian representing the electoral district of Tabriz, Azarshahr, and Osku.

Pezeshkian has had a distinguished political career, serving as a deputy in the eighth, ninth, tenth (as Vice President), and eleventh parliaments of Iran. During Mohammad Khatami's presidency, he held the position of Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, solidifying his expertise in public health.

In electoral matters, Pezeshkian ran twice for the presidency, in the 2013 and 2021 elections. In 2013, he withdrew his candidacy to support Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, demonstrating his commitment to prominent figures in Iranian leadership. However, in 2021, his candidacy was not approved by the Guardian Council, limiting his participation in the presidential race.

Pezeshkian enjoys the support of key political figures such as former Vice President Jahangiri and Javad Zarif, former Minister of Foreign Affairs during President Rouhani's tenure, known for his role in negotiating the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers. Recently, there have been rumors about potential support from former President Khatami for his candidacy.

His campaign strategy focuses on attracting the votes of ethnic minorities.

Mostafa Pourmohammadi: He was born in 1959 in Qom. He holds an advanced degree from the School of Sharia Law and Islamic Principles in Qom, and has completed studies in jurisprudence and Islamic law in Mashhad, Qom, and Tehran. Pourmohammadi is a prolific author, having published numerous books and articles on political rights, theoretical principles of Islamic political thought, and political and social issues.

Since his youth, he has played significant roles in the revolutionary prosecution in provinces such as Khuzestan, Hormozgan, Kermanshah, and Khorasan from 1979 to 1986. Additionally, he was in charge of the intelligence section of the Ministry of Intelligence from 1990 to 1997, and served as Deputy Minister in this ministry from 1997 to 2000, establishing himself as a prominent figure in Iranian politics.

He served as interior minister from 2015 to 2018 during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency. Pourmohammadi was also minister of justice in the first term of the Rouhani presidency from 2013 to 2017, leaving a mark on the country's judicial system. He has also been a member and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Documentation Center of the Islamic Revolution since 1996, assuming the presidency in 2021 after 25 years of service. He has been a professor at Imam Sadeq University since 1996 and served as Deputy Chief of the Armed Forces Commander in justice affairs from 2005 to 2008.

His campaign strategy focuses on attracting the vote of younger segments of society.

Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi: He was born in 1971 in Firuzan, Khorassan Razavi Province. Specializing in ear, nose, and throat medicine, he has dedicated his career to both the medical and political arenas in Iran.

Since 2021, Ghazizadeh Hashemi has served as the President of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs. In the parliamentary sphere, he has served in four terms and was Vice President of the eleventh legislature, demonstrating his experience and trajectory in legislative affairs.

In the 2021 elections, he participated as a final candidate and secured fourth place in the popular vote.

In the days leading up to the elections on June 28, five debates will be held among all the candidates. According to the results of a recent survey conducted by an Iranian university on June 9 through 1500 telephone interviews, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf emerges as the frontrunner with 34.9% of voter support. He is followed by Masoud Pezeshkian with 26.3%, and Saeed Jalili with 17.4%, according to the survey data.

Mostafa Pourmohammadi is projected to receive 8.6% support, Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi 6.7%, and Alireza Zakani 6.1%.