Iran Starts Snap Election as Lawmaker Enters Presidential Race

As Iran prepares to hold a snap election after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, reformist politician Masoud Pezeshkian announced his bid for the presidency on Sunday.

Pezeshkian, known for his previous tenure as health minister and first deputy speaker of the parliament, said he “aims to increase voter turnout,” challenging the disenchantment with the electoral process in Iran.

Pezeshkian's announcement comes at a time as Iran prepares for an early presidential election slated for June 28, following Raisi's sudden death last week in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran.

The election arrives amid the Supreme Leader's efforts to consolidate power within hardline factions, pushing the presidency further into a ceremonial corner while ensuring all key positions are held by loyalists.

Public interest in elections has plummeted, with recent parliamentary elections marking a historic low in voter turnout. In Tehran alone, only seven percent of eligible voters participated in the recent run-offs, underscoring the growing disconnect between the electorate and the government. In the elections which saw Raisi gain the presidential seat in 2021, it was also record lows for the presidential elections indicating a similar challenge next month in the sham elections.

The upcoming presidential election is shrouded in uncertainty, with the Guardian Council likely to bar any significant non-hardline candidates.

As the acting president, Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, endorsed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, temporarily fills the void until the elections, the political landscape in Iran remains tightly controlled. Statements from government officials continue to emphasize a hard stance against Iran's perceived enemies and a commitment to unyielding policy directions, signaling no change in the country's political and social climate, ultimately in the hands of the theocratic dictator, Khamenei.