Iran shifts focus to presidential election after mourning Ebrahim Raisi
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the lead-up to the early vote on June 28 has prompted a diverse array of hopefuls from various political factions to enter the fray.The registration for presidential candidates will start on Thursday.Iranian lawmakers on Tuesday reaffirmed their choice of former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf as the speaker of parliament. Qalibaf had been touted as a potential candidate in the presidential race by insiders and Iranian state media, AP reported.Also Read: Who was Ebrahim Raisi? Protégé of Iran's supreme leader Ali KhameneiUltraconservative Raisi, who had over a year remaining in his first term, passed away on May 19 in a helicopter crash, along with his foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others.
The accident occurred when their helicopter collided with a fog-covered mountainside.Meanwhile, they were honoured with multi-day funeral ceremonies, which drew large crowds of mourners.The June election is scheduled during a turbulent period marked by the ongoing Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian militant group backed by Tehran. This comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions regarding Iran's nuclear program.Additionally, Iran is grappling with significant economic challenges exacerbated by the re-imposition of tough international sanctions following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, alongside aftermaths of widespread anti-government protests.Khamenei, who has ultimate authority over state matters, has tasked Raisi's vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, aged 68, with overseeing interim responsibilities and organizing the June election, AP reported.Media reports suggest Mokhber, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and several prominent
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