Registration opens for hopefuls in Iran’s presidential Election

Iran opened registration Tuesday for potential candidates in the country’s June presidential election, kicking off the race as uncertainty looms over Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers and tensions remain high with the West.

President Hassan Rouhani can’t run again due to term limits, yet with the poll just a month away no immediate favorite has emerged among the many rumored candidates. There also appears to be little interest in the vote by a public crushed by sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic.

Nevertheless, many view the country’s hard-liners as ascendant — even as the U.S. under President Joe Biden tries to find a way to re-enter the atomic accord.

Questions also remain over voter enthusiasm. Iran’s 2020 parliamentary vote saw only a 42.5% turnout, the lowest ever since 1979. Official surveys suggest June’s vote may see only a 39% turnout. Iran’s 2017 presidential election saw a 73% turnout.

The vote comes at a crucial period for Iran. A return to the nuclear deal remains uncertain. Tensions remain high with the West. Also, Khamenei, now 82, grows older, raising the possibility Iran will choose a new supreme leader in the coming years.