Former Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be contesting in the upcoming presidential elections. Ahmadinejad, who is known for his hardline views, registered as a possible candidate for the elections to be held on June 28 on Sunday.
The populist former leader's registration puts pressure on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Relations between the both became tense as there was disagreement over Ahmadinejad's domestic police when he was in power.
Ahmadinejad was a controversial figure both for Iran and the world. He was criticised for his hostility towards countries including Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He was also criticised over his Holocaust remarks claiming that the Jews invented it. However, his return comes at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the West over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, Israel-Hamas intensifying war and its arming of Russia in its war on Ukraine.
Ahmadinejad previously served two four-year terms from 2005 to 2013. Under Iranian law, he became eligible to run again after four years out of office. He had also registered to run for the 2021 presidential election despite Khamenei's dissent. But he was rejected by the Guardian Council, a 12-member panel of clerics and jurists aimed at overseeing the election and legislation in Iran. Khamenei warned Ahmadinejad that his standing for office again would be a polarized situation that would be harmful to the country.
In 2009, his disputed re-election sparked massive Green Movement protests and a sweeping crackdown in which thousands of people were detained and dozens were killed. He's also criticised government corruption, though his own administration faced graft allegations and two of his former vice presidents were jailed. He is known for the nuclearisation of Iran. He also served as mayor of Tehran from 2003 to 2005. He was also the main political leader of the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran, a coalition of conservative political groups in the country.
However, Ahmadinejad remains popular among the poor for his populist efforts and home-building programs. Also, he raised his profile after leaving office by being active in social media and writing publicised letters to world leaders.
That Guardian Council has never accepted a woman or anyone calling for radical change to the country's governance. The panel could also reject Ahmadinejad again. However, the race to replace Ebrahim Raisi, who died recently in a helicopter crash, has yet to draw a candidate with clear, overwhelming support from Khamenei.
