Iran Hits Back at US, French Criticism of Election Process

Iran lashes out at the United States and France for interfering in the forthcoming presidential elections, assuring that the vetting process of presidential candidates is transparent and based on the Constitution.

Tehran is “highly sensitive” about comments targeting its internal affairs, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said. The FM spokesman Abbas Araqchi indicated that the “elections in Iran are free and transparent. They are held based on the country’s laws and regulations.”

French foreign ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot on Wednesday urged Iran to allow its people to “freely choose” their leaders.

In response, Araqchi advised Paris against “interference in the internal affairs of others and instead focus on their own domestic problems”.

US Secretary of State John Kerry also criticized the Islamic republic on Friday for disqualifying would-be candidates. “I cannot think of anyone in the world… who would not be amazed by a process in which an unelected Guardian Council, which is unaccountable to the Iranian people, has disqualified… hundreds of potential candidates according to vague criteria,” Kerry said. “The lack of transparency makes it highly unlikely that that slate of candidates is either going to represent the broad will of the Iranian people or represent a change.”

Salehi warned US officials against making “unjustified” comments. “The best advice to American officials is for them to get their information from reliable sources and specialized advisers. They should also be aware of the repercussions of such unjustified comments,” he said.

This came after Iranian Interior Ministry published a list of eight candidates that the Guardian Council had approved to run in the country’s 11th presidential election. A total of 686 hopefuls had registered for the poll.

The candidates approved to run for president are Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili; former Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Gharazi; President of the Center for Strategic Research of the Expediency Council Hassan Rohani; former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati; former First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref; Secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei; Iranian lawmaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel and Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf.