Iran Presidential Candidates Filled with Hardliners... Will It Affect Nuclear Deal Talks?

Among 7 candidates, 5 conservatives including hardline Lee Si
Most moderates and close associates of President Rohani excluded

The final seven candidates for the Iranian presidential election. From the left: Mosen Rezaei, Chairman of the National Coordination Council; Abdolnaser Hemmati, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran; Alireza Zakani, former member of parliament; Mosen Mehralizadeh, former vice president; Amir-Hossein Ghazizade-Hashemi, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament; Saeed Jalili, former chief nuclear negotiator for Iran; Ebrahim Raisi, head of the Iranian judiciary.
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] As the final list of candidates for the upcoming Iranian presidential election has been confirmed, it appears that most of the candidates are hardline conservatives. Analysts suggest that if the current moderate reformist administration is replaced by a hardline conservative government, it could also impact discussions on the restoration of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).

According to Iran's state-run IRNA on the 25th (local time), the Guardian Council of Iran announced that out of a total of 592 presidential candidates, 7 have been confirmed as the final candidates for the presidential election.

The Guardian Council, which holds the authority to interpret Islamic norms and the constitution, has supervisory power over presidential and parliamentary elections as well as referendums, and is responsible for vetting candidate qualifications.

The most likely winner among the final candidates is Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi. Appointed as the head of Iran's judiciary in 2019, he is regarded as a representative hardline conservative cleric. As the overall head of the judiciary, he recently led anti-corruption investigations, gaining public support.

According to a poll by the semi-official Fars News Agency, Raisi is expected to receive a total of 72% of the vote in this election.

He previously ran in the 2017 presidential election but only secured 38% of the vote, losing to incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, who won the majority.

Other candidates in the presidential race include Mostafa Rezaei, Chairman of the National Coordination Council; Alireza Zakani, former member of parliament; Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh-Hashemi, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament; and Saeed Jalili, former chief nuclear negotiator for Iran?all classified as hardline conservatives. In contrast, only two candidates are considered moderates: Abdolnaser Hemmati, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, and Mostafa Mehralizadeh, former Vice President.

President Hassan Rouhani of Iran
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

Notably, in the process of selecting the final candidates, most of the moderates close to current President Hassan Rouhani were excluded. Ali Larijani, former parliamentary speaker and a candidate, was also excluded. Although conservative, he had been a strong supporter of Rouhani's efforts regarding the Iran nuclear deal and was considered one of Rouhani's closest aides.

Another reformist and close ally of Rouhani, Eshaq Jahangiri, the First Vice President, was also excluded from the candidate list. On Instagram, he stated, "My exclusion from the candidate list is intended to exclude reformist forces," expressing concerns that the upcoming election would not be conducted fairly.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Headquarters located in Vienna, Austria
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

With ongoing discussions on restoring the Iran nuclear deal, attention is focused on how the election results might influence these talks. The Associated Press reported, "Moderate reformist politicians aim to maintain the status quo and minimize confrontation with the Western world," while "hardline politicians aim to significantly expand Iran's nuclear program to actively counter the West." This suggests that if a hardline conservative government replaces the current administration, Iran may adopt a tougher stance in nuclear deal restoration negotiations.

Previously, former U.S. President Donald Trump declared the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, putting the agreement at risk of collapse. However, since President Joe Biden took office, the U.S. has been pushing to restore the deal. The parties to the Iran nuclear deal?Iran, the U.S., China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom?are currently meeting in Vienna, Austria, to conduct talks aimed at restoring the agreement.

Meanwhile, President Rouhani, who was re-elected in 2017, will complete his term in August.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.