Iran’s presidential contenders

Iran’s presidential election is shaping up to be a two-horse race, with moderate incumbent Hasan Rohani facing a tough re-election battle against hardline cleric ebrahim Raisi

HASAN ROHANI, 68

Elected in 2013 on pledges of greater personal freedoms and detente with West

Clinched 2015 deal which saw Iran limit its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from crippling international sanctions

Believed to be frontrunner in May 19 election, but failure of nuclear deal to bring economic gains for ordinary Iranians has created opening that rivals have sought to exploit

Has used campaign to attack opponents over personal freedoms, corruption and wealthy state bodies that do not pay tax

Won key endorsement of Iran’s reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami, who praised government for cutting inflation from 40 per cent in 2013 to 9.5 per cent in 2016

eBRAHIm RAISI, 56

Former attorney general, serves as head of Imam Reza charity which manages vast conglomerate of businesses and endowments in Iran

Close to Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and seen by many as his possible successor

Raisi’s candidacy has revived controversy over Iran’s mass execution of prisoners in 1988 – he allegedly served on board that sentenced some prisoners to death

Backed by Tehran’s conservative mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who dropped out of presidential race on May 15 to consolidate opposition aiming to unseat Rohani

Campaigned on promise to fight poverty, proposing cash payments for poor that proved popular under former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad