Iran dismisses Great Satan U.S. remarks on presidential election

Iran has criticized the United States for making remarks on the presidential election in the Islamic Republic, advising U.S. officials to raise their awareness about legal mechanisms in Iran.
Making poor judgment on the electoral process in Iran is not only an act of “interference” in the internal affairs of Iran but also an “insult” to the political wisdom of the Iranian people, Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Araqchi said in a statement on Wednesday.

His comments came after U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell criticized the Guardian Council over the vetting process, after the council barred many candidates to stand for next month’s presidential election. Eight candidates have been qualified to run for president.

Ventrell said, “The lack of transparency makes it unlikely that the slate of candidates represents the will of the Iranian people, who should be given every opportunity to choose a president who best embodies their views.”

The Guardian Council, a 12-member body consisting of six law experts and six religious jurists, is constitutionally tasked with vetting candidates.