Iran approves hardliner for presidential polls, bars a number of hopefuls
The move is likely to boost the prospects of Raisi, a close ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But it may further dent the clerical rulers’ hopes of a high turnout in the June 18 vote, amid rising discontent over an economy crippled by US sanctions.
As well as Ahmadinejad, the hardline-led Guardian Council barred former parliament speaker Ali Larijani, a moderate conservative, and pragmatist First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, an ally of outgoing president Hassan Rouhani.
Rouhani and his moderate allies have blamed most of Iran’s economic woes on US sanctions and given top priority to talks aimed at reviving Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which former US President Donald Trump quit.
But conservative and hardline allies of Khamenei have placed the responsibility squarely on the government, and insisted that Washington cannot be trusted to fulfill any accord.
The Council approved just seven candidates out of 40 who met its basic criteria — in turn a small…
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