Former Iranian President Announces Candidacy for Upcoming Presidential Elections

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has announced his candidacy for the upcoming extraordinary presidential elections, as reported by Iranian state television on Sunday.

The 67-year-old Ahmadinejad is considered a hardliner in politics and served two terms from 2005 to 2013. His second term was marked by widespread protests and violent crackdowns due to disputed election results in 2009.

His disagreements with the country's leadership date back many years. While serving as president, Ahmadinejad, in defiance of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, dismissed a minister appointed by Khamenei and subsequently declared a ten-day strike, boycotting all government meetings.

This episode during Ahmadinejad's presidency was pivotal for his political career; it strained his relations not only with the Supreme Leader but also transformed him from a conservative figure into a revolutionary one, as he dared to defy the country's spiritual leader.

In addition to Ahmadinejad, 12 other candidates have registered. These include former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and the former governor of the Central Bank, Abdolnaser Hemmati, known for his reformist views and participation in the 2021 elections.

Moreover, Iran's eighth president, Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Abdollahian, and four others were killed on Sunday in a helicopter crash in the Varzaqan area of East Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran. They were returning to Tehran after a ceremony to inaugurate a joint dam project near the border with Azerbaijan.