“This country’s hard on people, you can’t stop what’s coming, it ain’t all waiting on you. That’s vanity.” This quote from the movie No Country for Old Men may be just what members of Iran’s powerful Guardian Council are saying behind closed doors. There is widespread anticipation over whether the 79-year Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani will be allowed to run this year for Iran’s presidency. The … FULL STORY >>
Three recent speeches by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, indicate increasing concern for security over other domestic issues as Iran’s election approaches. In the last two months, he has spoken at length on three occasions about the country’s presidential election. FULL STORY
Four months after an Iran Election Watch investigation, a think tank run by presidential candidate Hassan Rowhani has corrected his official biography, which had claimed Rowhani obtained a Ph.D. from the prestigious University of Glasgow. The think tank has now asked us to “publish a correction.” FULL STORY
With Iran’s presidential election just a month away, hundreds of would-be candidates have now registered to run for office. The Guardian Council, controlled by Iran’s Supreme Leader, vets would-be candidates deciding who can stand for election. Since 1981, the Council has barred hundreds of presidential hopefuls from running, and only a small group of candidates have been allowed to run in each of Iran’s subsequent … FULL STORY >>
As the spring equinox arrived, as expected on March 20 in Iran, and the Persian New Year – Nowruz – began, one word has already become tremendously politicized, for those who observe the upcoming presidential election: “Spring”. During the past couple of months, the outgoing president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his supporters have often used the word “Spring” in their speeches. FULL STORY
[Data Analysis] – Less than three months before Iran’s June presidential election, around 20 candidates have announced their intention to run for office. But, for the first time in the Islamic Republic of Iran, none of these potential candidates represent an obvious “game changer” as the next president. In such an environment, during the past month, several groups of former Reformists have tried to convince … FULL STORY >>
Although Iran blocks access to Facebook, the social networking site has become a powerful force in the Iranian political life. Facebook first became popular in Iran’s political circles during the disputed 2009 presidential election. As the election day approaches, we looked into how Facebook friendly are the potential candidates? FULL STORY
Iran’s Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi says his country’s opposition is receiving both foreign and domestic financial support as it prepares for this June’s presidential election. He had previously said that his ministry “will closely monitor the atmosphere during the presidential election.” FULL STORY
The conservative politician Manouchehr Mottaki served as the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Foreign Minister for five years under president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The president dismissed Manouchehr Mottaki in December 2010, while the minister was on an official visit to Senegal. FULL STORY
Ali Fallahian is a member of Iran’s influential Assembly of Experts. He served as Minister of Intelligence from 1989-1997 under former president Hashemi Rafsanjani. Ali Fallahian is among the several Iranian officials on Interpol’s Wanted List. FULL STORY