PROFILE – Bagher Ghalibaf: Top conservative running for Iran’s president

By Syed Zafar Mehdi

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Iran’s Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf, a leading conservative political figure, emerged as the most prominent candidate in this month’s elections to elect a successor to late President Ebrahim Raisi.

Ghalibaf, who was reelected as parliament speaker last week, joined the presidential race on Monday, the final day of registration for the upcoming polls.

The snap vote is slated to be held on June 28 after Raisi died in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran on May 19.

Iran's election supervisory body, the Guardian Council, began the vetting process for candidates on Tuesday and will release the list of qualified candidates on June 11.

Candidates approved by the 12-member vetting body will have two weeks to campaign before the voting takes place on June 28, according to election authorities.

- Raisi’s successor

Ghalibaf, a leading conservative politician who has contested presidential elections several times in the past, was widely considered a potential successor to Raisi.

In the 2013 presidential election, he lost to Hassan Rouhani, the eventual winner, finishing second.

In the 2017 presidential election, Ghalibaf entered the race again but withdrew in favor of Raisi, a more formidable and populist figure, who ultimately lost to Rouhani.

In the 2021 presidential election, while serving his first term as parliament speaker, Ghalibaf chose not to contest and supported Raisi instead.

Weeks after Raisi died in the helicopter crash, Ghalibaf was reelected as parliament speaker by a large majority of votes, which left many political analysts speculating about his plans.

Ghalibaf ended speculations about his plans on Monday and decided to register for the June 28 vote.

Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination, Ghalibaf said he felt compelled to run to ensure the continuation of efforts started under Raisi’s government. He vowed to “wholeheartedly strive to solve problems.”

- IRGC ties

Ghalibaf’s entry has dimmed the prospects of another prominent conservative figure, Saeed Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator, who joined the race on the first day of registration on Thursday.

Both Ghalibaf and Jalili are expected to be approved by the Guardian Council, but it remains uncertain whether Jalili will withdraw or continue to the finish line.

Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, who has also registered, is likely to withdraw in favor of Ghalibaf in the later stages if both go ahead, according to political analysts.

Before entering active politics, Ghalibaf, a certified pilot, served as a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Air Force and was active during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.

He served as Iran’s police chief from 2000 to 2005. In 2005, he was elected Tehran mayor, a position he held until 2017, which earned him widespread popularity.

Ghalibaf was a close friend of Iran’s former top commander, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and they had known each other since the Iran-Iraq War.