Middle East and Africa | Slender hope

Who are the main contenders to be Iran’s next president?

After the death of the puritanical president, Iran’s reformists hope to win a slice of power

An Iranian electoral official sits at a candidates' registration office, in Tehran on May 30, 2024
Photograph: AFP

AFTER THREE years of ruthless hardline government under Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s 61m voters once again have a choice for president. Ahead of Iran’s snap presidential election, scheduled for June 28th, the Islamic Republic’s electoral-vetting body approved six candidates: three hardliners, two pragmatic conservatives and a reformer. Given that the first five are likely to split the traditionalist vote, a good turnout might even propel a reformist back into the presidency. The helicopter crash that killed Raisi on May 19th “could re-energise Iranian politics”, says a political observer in the capital, Tehran.

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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “A slender hope of change”

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