MADRID - The first televised debate preceding the Iranian presidential elections, scheduled for June 28th, took place on Monday, the 18th. This event focused on economic issues, presenting various proposals to address the most urgent challenges in this field.

Lasting approximately four hours, the debate was marked by intense exchanges where each candidate expressed their views on combating corruption, economic policies, inflation, Western sanctions, and Iran's role in the global economy.

Mostafa Pourmohammadi, former Minister of Justice in Ahmadinejad's government and the only cleric among the candidates, as well as Secretary General of the Society of Combatant Clerics, criticized the policies of the central bank. He argued that these policies harm the domestic industry by raising interest rates. "We have granted authority and independence to the central bank, but not the tools. They have raised interest rates, which is inflationary in itself."

Many analysts have noted that Pourmohammadi aimed to play a role similar to Hassan Rouhani's in the 2013 elections. During the debate, he repeatedly criticized the "principalist" candidates, a term used in Iran for supporters of a policy aiming to uphold the founding principles of the Islamic Republic. He reproached them for allegedly "exacerbating sanctions through actions such as attacks on embassies." He also lamented that Iran "paid the price of the war in Ukraine but did not benefit from it," emphasizing that "all our trade relations are blocked."

Pourmohammadi emphasized the need for a free market economy, stating: "For the economy to succeed, we must have competition, and the government should not compete. We should not have a directed economy."

On the other hand, Alireza Zakani, current mayor of Tehran, rejected "pleading diplomacy" and emphasized the need for national self-sufficiency. He argued that Iran must achieve self-sufficiency to earn international respect, though he noted that "sanctions are unjust; we must neutralize them first."

Zakani underscored the importance of economic managers within the government being "honest and capable of combating corruption." During the debate, he had a rhetorical confrontation with Pezeshkian when the latter mentioned the need for Iran to comply with FATF standards to attract investment from China. Zakani responded by saying, "That's not true. I went and signed agreements worth $13 billion and contracts worth $2 billion with China."

In the segment dedicated to corruption, the Tehran mayor supported calls for accountability. Tension escalated further when Zakani accused, without naming names, certain individuals within Pezeshkian's campaign of corruption: "Mr. Pezeshkian talks about prosecuting inefficient individuals. Yes, some of those responsible are currently in his campaign."

Saeed Jalili, a prominent figure within the "principalist" camp and former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, unsurprisingly criticized Rouhani's government for basing its entire policy on pursuing "international agreements" without focusing on the country's capacity development.

Emphatically, Jalili rejected any dependence on agreements with foreign countries, arguing that "the maximum pressure policy executed by the United States against Iran failed in planning, understanding opportunities, and attracting investments."

However, this does not imply that Jalili is an isolationist. From his perspective, Iranian foreign policy should be based on autonomy and freedom in seeking alliances. He underscored his extensive experience in diplomatic affairs by stating, "I have been involved in foreign policy for 35 years. Today, our opportunities in foreign policy and our extensive interactions with the world are unparalleled."

In this regard, it is noteworthy that there are rumors that Mehdi Safari, former ambassador to China, Russia, and Austria, could be his candidate for the position of Foreign Minister should Jalili win the elections.

Masoud Pezeshkian, considered by many analysts as the underperformer of the evening for failing to meet expectations, is the "reformist" candidate backed by figures such as former President Khatami and former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif from the Rouhani government.

In the segment dedicated to corruption, Pezeshkian highlighted economic inefficiencies and losses caused by sanctions. Pointing to those he believes benefit from the status quo, he stated, "We are buying expensively and selling cheaply. We suffer significant losses in the oil sector. Who is responsible for selling our assets so cheaply?"

He also emphasized the negative impact of sanctions, stating, "Sanctions are a disaster; we evade them, but in this wrong path we are taking, there is a lot of corruption. Where does all this corruption come from?"

Furthermore, he underscored the importance of adhering to global financial standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to attract foreign investment, especially from China.

Regarding inflation, Pezeshkian highlighted budget deficits and "uncontrolled money printing" as crucial issues. "Inflation means emptying people's pockets without them realizing it; they go to sleep at night and wake up finding their purchasing power has disappeared," he emphasized.

Concerning corruption, Pezeshkian insisted on the need to prosecute those who fail to deliver on promises and placed strong emphasis on transparency: "I will place government finances in a room entirely made of glass."

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, current President of the Parliament and a favorite according to recent polls published by Press TV, emphasized the need for a strong government to address the numerous challenges facing Iran.

Qalibaf acknowledged the impact of sanctions and stressed the importance of gradually lifting them through a "step-by-step" approach. He also advocated for concrete diplomatic efforts to achieve this goal, stating, "We have a specific plan that we can follow step by step."

Regarding inflation, he promised to adjust salaries and advocated for greater independence for the central bank. "We have empowered the Central Bank but have not yet granted it full independence," he noted during the debate.

Qalibaf expressed his opinion that government involvement in the economy should be minimized. "The Islamic Revolution granted people the opportunity to govern their own destiny through religious democracy," he highlighted.

He also mentioned the necessity of establishing a "protective shield" to safeguard the population against inflation.

Finally, Qalibaf underscored the importance of translating signed contracts with foreign partners into tangible progress and advocated for leveraging non-Western organizations. "At this moment, our contracts with China and Russia have not been implemented. We need to harness the capabilities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS," he declared.

Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, current head of the Martyrs Foundation under the government of Ebrahim Raisi (2021-24), asserted during the debate that his administration could swiftly resolve economic issues, especially those related to the downturn in the stock market.

Throughout the debate, Hashemi focused particularly on defending the management of the Raisi government, stating, "The government was handed over to President Martyr Raisi with empty coffers, but it was efficiently managed by his administration."

At a critical juncture in the debate, Hashemi cautioned against adopting prescriptions from international actors like the World Bank: "We believe in global experience, both positive and failures. Can examples be shown of developing countries that have followed World Bank prescriptions and successfully rescued their economies? The World Bank's vision does not accept the concept of humanity and maintains that employees should be paid based on their productivity."

In economic terms, Hashemi emphasized the necessity for Iran's economy to become predictable: "We need to invest in creating joint industrial parks with foreign and neighboring countries. Economic policy should drive production and benefit Iranian households," Hashemi pointed out.

Despite significant programmatic differences and tense moments, all candidates displayed unity in their use of language and fundamental concepts of the Islamic Revolution. They also underscored unanimity in prioritizing the utilization of the country's internal capacities. Even Pezeshkian and Pourmohammadi, who emphasized interaction and the use of global capacities, agreed on the need to first strengthen Iran's internal capabilities.

Another notable aspect of the debate was the candidates' effort to refrain from directly criticizing the late President Raisi, although some critiques were directed at his government.

The second electoral debate is scheduled for the 20th of this month.