The Reform Front, a coalition of Iranian reformist groups and parties, has fielded a candidate for the June 28 presidential election.
The announcement was made in a tweet by Reform Front spokesman Javad Emam, who revealed that Abbas Akhundi, Massoud Pezeshkian and Esak Jahangiri have been selected as candidates in the government-led election to choose a successor to Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last month. Each of the politicians who announced their candidacy won two-thirds of the party's votes.
Former President Mohammed Khatami, highly regarded by many Iranian “reformists,” announced that he would only support the presidential elections if at least one candidate from the Reform Front was allowed to run.
The candidates face a difficult road ahead: The 12-member Guardian Council, which reports to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has a history of blocking “reformist” candidates, a practice that has strengthened the stronghold of conservative and hardline groups within the cabinet. Iran's Political SphereSince 2020, a significant number of potential “reformist” candidates have been disqualified, affecting both parliamentary and presidential elections.
Abbas Akhundi, who served as Minister of Roads and Urban Development under President Hassan Rouhani. Massoud PezechkianThe former health minister and parliamentary leader had previously claimed to have restored faith in the electoral process among a disillusioned public. Moderate politician Esak Jahangiri Another person nominated by the front office is a former vice president.
