Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is backing the Guardian Council's disqualification of leading moderate and conservative candidates seeking to run in the presidential election in June.
The council, which vets candidates, approved seven of the 592 hopefuls in a list released this week.
Its decision leaves Iran's hardline judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi as one of the favourites to replace President Hassan Rouhani, who has reached the limit of two consecutive terms.
Mr Rouhani joined hardliners and reformists in criticising the council's decision and urged Mr Khamenei to intervene and allow a wider range of candidates to be on the ballot.
But on Thursday Mr Khamenei told members of parliament that he "strongly supported the council's legal procedures".
"The honourable Guardian Council, in accordance with its duty, did what it had to do and what it deemed necessary to do and identified the candidates," he said.
His comments appeared to kill off any hopes for a review of the council's decisions. In the 2005 presidential election, he ordered the council to reinstate two candidates.
Those disqualified from running next month include Ali Larijani, a prominent moderate conservative who is a former parliament speaker and chief nuclear negotiator, reformist First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, an ally of Mr Rouhani, and Mr Rouhani's predecessor Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.
Mr Khamenei also addressed the prospect of low voter turnout.
"Those who promote not going to the polls are not sympathetic to the people," he said.
"Dear nation of Iran, elections are held on just one day, but the effect lasts for several years. Participate in the election."
There are calls for an election boycott from political activists, as well as supporters of Mr Ahmadinejad, who was making his first attempt to run again since his controversial re-election in 2009 that sparked widespread protests.
Mr Ahmadinejad's announcement that he would boycott the election was also addressed by Mr Khamenei.
"Someone who is compassionate does not forbid people from going to the polls," he said.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
