Iran’s Parliament Speaker Qalibaf to run for presidency

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who was elected on May 29, has applied to run for the presidency following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.

Qalibaf, a former air force commander, police chief, and mayor of Tehran, has served as the Parliament speaker since 2020. His decision to run for the presidency came as a surprise to many observers.

While there were speculations about his potential candidacy after Raisi’s death, Qalibaf’s application has raised questions. It is suggested that his political background might make him a preferred candidate by the Hezbollah faction, as indicated by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

However, opposition groups argue that Qalibaf’s candidacy should be vetoed by the Guardian Council, as he has not resigned from his position as the speaker of Parliament. They claim that this violates the criteria for candidacy set for officials, and is thus unconstitutional. However, it should be noted that Raisi, who was the judiciary chief when he ran for president, did not resign from his position either.