Iranian ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad registers as presidential candidate

Former president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has registered as a candidate for the presidential election, which will take place in Iran on June 28. The previous head of state Ebrahim Raisi died on May 19 in a helicopter crash.

Ahmadinejad is a conservative populist who denies Israel's right to exist. He held the presidency from 2005 to 2013 and often clashed with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In 2021, he was not allowed to participate in the elections.

Following the registration, he called for constructive dialogue with other countries and improved economic relations with the international community. He said that when his term ended in 2013, the situation in Iran was significantly better.