When did the US and Iran become enemies?
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(CNN Spanish) -
Iranians will go to the voting tables this Friday in a presidential election marked by the coronavirus pandemic, persistent tensions in the region and the pressure generated by an economy hit by sanctions.
On this occasion, in addition, the Council of Guardians, a body that among other functions approves the nominations for president, has disqualified the reformist and centrist candidates and paved the way for a victory for the controversial Ebrahim Rayeesi, current head of the Judiciary with a controversial human rights record.
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In total 59,310,307 Iranians are called to vote, out of a population of almost 83 million, according to the state news agency IRNA.
There will also be more than 72,000 voting centers throughout the country.
As in other elections, there will be expectations due to the level of participation, especially given the low number (42.57%, according to IRNA) registered in the February 2020 legislative elections.
A woman walks past posters with the figure of the conservative candidate Ebrahim Rayeesi, on June 17 in Tehran, Iran.
(Credit: TTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)
It is the thirteenth presidential election of the Islamic Republic, seeking to determine who will be its eighth president.
And it will take place at the same time as the mid-term elections of Parliament and the Assembly of Experts.
There will also be regional elections in different municipalities.
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The successor to moderate Hassan Rouhani, president since 2013, will emerge from a list of 7 candidates approved by the Guardian Council and announced on May 25 by the semi-official Fars agency.
The final list of candidates, far from the reforms
None of the most popular names among the candidates, including former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani and former Vice President Eshaq Jahangari, were approved by the Guardian Council.
Rayeesi, the current judicial chief, has thus become the strongest and best-known candidate on the final list, which, without Larijani and Jahangiri, has been left without strong names among the reformists.
"Those who followed this electoral process have been surprised that the most important candidate, Larijani, has been disqualified," Paulo Botta, an expert on the Middle East at the Catholic University in Buenos Aires, told CNN.
"The political system is willing to lose legitimacy with these candidates, prioritizing not taking risks, despite a growing demand for modifications from the population not only in politics but also in economics."
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is 82 years old and the country is already discussing who will succeed him.
(Credit: AFP PHOTO / IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER'S WEBSITE / ATTA KENARE)
Added to this are Rayeesi's alleged aspirations to succeed the 82-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to experts, and his long record in the violation of Human Rights.
Both the Center for Human Rights of Iran (CHRI), Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have accused him of allegedly being part of a "death committee" that in 1988 would have supervised the execution of thousands of people.
Rayeesi, a Muslim cleric close to the ayatollah, has not publicly responded to these accusations and during the elections he maintained a speech focused on the fight against corruption and economic problems, according to Fars.
The economy hit by sanctions and the pandemic
According to the most recent data from the World Bank, prior to the covid-19 pandemic, inflation in Iran was at almost 40%, unemployment at 11% and GDP fell by 6% for the second consecutive year, mainly due to the drop in its oil and gas exports due to the sanctions.
Young Iranians buy sweets on the streets of Tehran, the Iranian capital, on June 16, 2021 (Credit: MORTEZA NIKOUBAZL / AFP via Getty Images)
The pandemic, which at the moment has left a balance of just over three million confirmed cases and about 82,000 deaths according to Johns Hopkins University, has worsened this situation, boosting demands for economic reform.
Less than 6% of the total population has received at least one Covid-19 vaccine, and less than 1% have been fully vaccinated.
Latent regional tensions
Under the leadership of France and with the backing of Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Union, Iran is negotiating the return of the United States to the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or JCPOA for short) English), from which former President Donald Trump retired in 2018.
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The JCPOA agreement, negotiated by the Rohani government and the Obama administration, provided for the lifting of sanctions against Iran in exchange for evidence that the Iranian nuclear program pursued peaceful purposes.
It was a short relief for the country.
But after the withdrawal decided by Trump, who accused Tehran of destabilizing the region through the support of militant groups, sanctions were imposed once again and the economy came under pressure again.
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"Raisi will continue Iran's regional policy of supporting non-state actors beyond Iranian borders," Saman Vakil, a researcher at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, told CNN.
"Like many conservatives, he considers this policy successful in protecting the security and stability of Iran."
At the same time, Iran is in the middle of a dialogue with Saudi Arabia, one of its main regional rivals.
"Iranian politics has shown that it is very pragmatic.
Even the 'principistas' are willing to make concessions if this gives them a benefit and there is going to be an internal discussion ”in a possible Rayeesi government, Botta pointed out.
For Vakil, the conservative candidate believes in strengthening Iran's regional ties.
"Rayeesi advocated building a stronger relationship with Iraq during a recent trip and will continue to support dialogue with Saudi Arabia, believing that any improvement in the relationship will be to the benefit of Iran," he said.
Ebrahim Raisi Elections in Iran
