MainAll NewsMiddle EastAhmadinejad disqualified from presidential election
Ahmadinejad disqualified from presidential election
Ahmadinejad disqualified from presidential election
Iran's Guardian Council disqualifies former president from running in next month's election.
An Iranian panel charged with vetting presidential candidates on Thursday disqualified former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from running in next month's presidential election, The Associated Press reported, citing state television.
At the same time, the panel approved incumbent president Hassan Rouhani and five challengers, according to the report.
The decision by the Guardian Council means that Rouhani, who is considered “moderate” in Iran, will face off against a field that includes two prominent hard-liners: Ebrahim Raisi, who is considered close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.