GC approves eight hopefuls for June 14 presidential vote: Report

Iran’s constitutional supervisory body, the Guardian Council, has approved eight hopefuls to run in the upcoming presidential race slated for June 14.

The Council on Tuesday approved MP Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, Secretary of the Expediency Council Mohsen Rezaei and President of the Center for Strategic Research of the Expediency Council Hassan Rohani.

The list also included former First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref, Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, former telecommunication minister, Mohammad Gharazi, and former foreign minister, Ali-Akbar Velayati.

Former president, Hashemi Rafsanjani, and head of the Secretariat of the Non-Aligned Movement Esfandiyar Rahim-Mashaei, have not been approved by the Council.

A total of 686 hopefuls registered from May 7 to 11 for the Islamic Republic’s 11th presidential election. The Guardian Council, which is tasked with vetting hopefuls for candidacy and confirming the election results, is expected to submit the list of the candidates to the Interior Ministry on Tuesday.

The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election.