Ahmadinejad defies Iran’s supreme leader, registers to run for president next month
The May 19 election is seen by many in Iran as a referendum on the 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers and its ability to improve the country’s sanctions-hobbled economy
Iran’s former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday unexpectedly filed to run in the country’s May presidential election, contradicting a recommendation from the supreme leader to stay out of the race.
Ahmadinejad’s decision will upend an election many believed would be won by moderate President Hassan Rouhani, who negotiated the nuclear deal with world powers. Though Rouhani has yet to formally register, many viewed him as a shoe-in following Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s recommendation in September for Ahmadinejad to stand down.
But many hard-liners in Iran seek a tough-talking candidate to rally around who can stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump. Ahmadinejad’s candidacy also could expose the fissures inside Iranian politics that linger since his contested 2009 re-election, which brought massive unrest.
Associated Press journalists watched as stunned election officials processed Ahmadinejad’s paperwork on Wednesday.
Asked about Ahmadinejad’s decision, one Tehran-based analyst offered a blunt assessment.
“It was an organised mutiny against the Iran’s ruling system,” said Soroush Farhadian, who backs reformists.