Registration begins for Iran presidential election

The registration process began amid COVID-19 restrictions, with many familiar and unfamiliar faces filing their nominations for the upcoming vote.
Among the key contenders who registered on Tuesday was former military official Saeed Mohammad, who was seen at a registration center in Tehran with his supporters.
Mohammad told reporters that he was contesting as an independent, apparently after failing to convince conservatives to field him as their consensus candidate.
However, the most important development that is likely to dissuade many potential conservative candidates from jumping the bandwagon is the candidature of Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raeisi, who is expected to register in the coming days, according to reports.

Raeisi, who was incumbent President Hassan Rouhani's main challenger in 2017, has been under pressure from the conservatives to contest the polls as their top choice, despite his initial reluctance.
Registration for the election will continue for five days, after which the candidates will be screened by the country's top vetting body, the Guardian Council. Most of the hopefuls are likely to face rejection.
This year's election comes at a critical juncture with Iran and world powers engaged in diplomatic negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, beside back-channel diplomacy underway to smoothen ties with estranged neighbors, especially Saudi Arabia.
According to observers, conservatives are well positioned to seize power from reformists. Conservatives have not been particularly optimistic about direct or indirect talks with the US.
Importantly, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has called for high turnout, while encouraging new and young leaders to run for the coveted chair. He has not publicly backed any candidate though.
Among other key candidates who have previously announced their bid for presidency and are expected to file nominations in coming days include former IRGC chief Mohsen Rezaei, former Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, former Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Motahhiri among others.
There has been intense speculation about Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's candidature, with a coalition of reformists pitching him as their top choice. However, the top diplomat has so far resisted calls and showed no inclination.