Iran's hard-line parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf registers for June 28 presidential election

Iran's hard-line parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has signed up to run for president in the election on June 28. This is important because he has strong connections to the country's parliamentary Revolution Guard. This election is happening because the previous president, Ebrahim Raisi, died in a helicopter crash on May 19. There are tensions between Iran and the West over Iran's nuclear program, support for Russia in the Ukraine war, and crackdowns on dissent. Iran also supports militia groups in the Middle East, and there are conflicts in Yemen and Gaza. Qalibaf has been speaker before and has held other important positions in Iran, like leading the Guard's air force and the country's police. He has been involved in events where there was violence against protesters. Other candidates for president include former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former parliament speaker Ali Larijani, and former Central Bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati. More candidates might join, but it's unlikely that some will be allowed to run by Iran's leaders. The final list of candidates will be decided by a 12-member Guardian Council, which is overseen by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This council has never allowed a woman or anyone who wants big changes in how Iran is run to be a candidate.