Rouhani seeks 2nd presidential term

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani will seek a second term, joining an election field with hardliners including his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and cleric Ebrahim Raisi, who is seen as his most credible challenger.

Rouhani is a moderate cleric who prioritized engagement with the West and was the architect of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal. Raisi is a close ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

All candidates are subject to vetting by the powerful Guardian Council, and those who qualify to run are to be announced by April 27.

“I’ve come back again for Iran, I’ve come back again for Islam, for better stability across our country, for greater security and more progress,” Rouhani said. “We have to gather again for Islam, to build Iran together.”

Rouhani has spent weeks defending his economic record, pushing back against critics who argue that ordinary people are yet to feel any benefits from the nuclear deal and subsequent lifting of sanctions.

Raisi referred to a need for adjustments.

“Approaches have to change,” Raisi said. “We must create an economy that supports production and respects the role of the people in the economy. An economy that won’t be damaged by those days when there are social and political shocks.”

Raisi was appointed last year by Khamenei to manage a wealthy Islamic charity that controls Iran’s holiest shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad. His background and ties to Khamenei means it’s unlikely that he would be rejected by the Guardian Council.

Ahmadinejad was embroiled in conflicts with officials during his second term and his entry is seen in apparent defiance of Khamenei, who had asked that he not run to avoid polarizing the country.