The office of Iran's leading Sunni cleric, Mowlavi Abdulhamid, has denied reports that he has endorsed any candidate in the next presidential election.
Abdulhamid previously supported the late President Ebrahim Raisi and candidates backed by reformists, but recently criticized both “reformists” and conservatives for poor governance. “The previous government made promises but failed to deliver. The reformists also failed to introduce a meritocratic system,” he said. “We spoke to the fundamentalists. [conservatives] He spoke about national and regional problems but showed no serious commitment to solving them.”
Abdul Hamid stressed the limited powers of past presidents and suggested that “things are being monitored from elsewhere,” a likely reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's decision-making power. He also expressed concern about state transparency and accountability.
Historically, candidates supported by Abdul Hamid have won elections in the Sunni-majority provinces of Sistan-Baluchistan and Kordestan. His popularity stems from his willingness to challenge the authority of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Abdul Hamid has spoken out against discrimination faced by women, ethnic and religious groups, and minorities since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.
Abdul Hamid previously supported reformist President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005) and moderate conservative Hassan Rouhani (2013-2021). He called on Iran's Sunni population to support ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisi in the 2021 presidential elections, but later criticized Raisi for failing to fulfill his promises to the Sunni community. Some criticized Abdul Hamid for supporting Raisi after more than 100 Sunnis were killed in Zahedan during protests in 2022.
