Saeed Jalili, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative on the Supreme National Security Council, is set to run in the next presidential election after having run in both 2013 and 2020 among Khamenei's most staunch allies.
As Khamenei looks to field a hard-line faction in the upcoming elections following the sudden death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last week, Jalili received four representatives from Mashhad in his office who encouraged him to run for president.
Jalili has played key roles in the Iranian government in the areas of foreign policy and security, serving as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from 2007 to 2013 and currently serving as a member of the Expediency Council.
Known for his hardline stance, Jalili was Iran's chief nuclear negotiator and previously served as deputy foreign minister for European and American affairs. Despite these roles, Jalili ran for president but came third in the 2013 election and lost his support to Ebrahim Raisi in the 2021 election, and is yet to win.
Jalili's return to the presidency Whispers of political maneuveringSome have suggested that recent leadership changes, including rumours of an assassination plot against Raisi by Khamenei's son Mojtaba, could pave the way for a new power dynamic.
Hardline votes from the clergy and military Among the politicians set to run in the June 28 election is likely to be Parviz Fattah, a former IRGC officer and head of the multi-billion dollar economic empire controlled by Iran's supreme leader.
Also likely candidates are current Transport Minister Mehrdad Bazlpash, who was on another helicopter flying with Raisi's desperate delegation, and current Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakhani, who, like Jalil, withdrew from the 2021 presidential election and supported front-runner Raisi.
