Ali Larijani, the moderate conservative politician who has long served as the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and is a supporter of Tehran's agreement with major powers regarding its nuclear program, submitted his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections on Saturday, the final day of the nomination period. Larijani, who will turn 64 in June, arrived at the Ministry of Interior as registration for nominations began, according to a journalist from AFP. His registration comes on the last day of the five-day nomination window, following initial hesitation to take this step, according to local media reports. This marks Larijani's second attempt to run for the presidency, after his first attempt in 2005, in an election that unexpectedly resulted in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory.
Larijani has been a prominent figure in Iranian politics over the years. During his first candidacy, he led Iranian negotiations with major powers on the nuclear issue before stepping back from this role after Ahmadinejad's election due to differing perspectives on this complex topic. Larijani served as Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) from 2008 to 2020, and he currently acts as an advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He is viewed as one of the moderate politicians within the conservative camp. During his presidency of the parliament, he supported moderate President Hassan Rouhani, who was elected in 2013 with a platform for political openness and negotiated the agreement on Iran's nuclear program in Vienna in 2015.
The agreement led to the lifting of many economic sanctions imposed on Iran in exchange for a reduction in its nuclear activities and guarantees of their peaceful nature. However, the agreement has been at risk since 2018, when former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from it and reimposed harsh sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Tehran and major powers have been engaged in negotiations since early April in a bid to revive the agreement and ensure both the U.S. and Iran return to full compliance. This agreement, along with the economic and social difficulties Iran is experiencing—primarily due to U.S. sanctions—is expected to be a key theme in the June 18 elections to choose a successor to Rouhani, who is ineligible to run after completing two consecutive terms.
After registering his candidacy at the Ministry of Interior, Larijani expressed to reporters that "the country's foreign policy should aim to facilitate external relations to promote the country's economic growth." The nomination period ends on Saturday evening, after which the names will be submitted to the Guardian Council, which has the authority to give final approval for candidates to run in the elections. Competing candidates are expected to be announced by May 27, followed by a 20-day election campaign starting the next day.
