...Of five hardline candidates (click here) professing unwavering obedience to
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, three are thought to stand any
chance of winning the vote, or making it through to a second round
run-off in a week’s time. Of those three main conservative hopefuls only
one, current chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, advocates
maintaining Iran’s robust, ideologically driven foreign policy.
The other two, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati, have pledged never to back away from pursuing Iran’s nuclear program but have strongly criticized Mr. Jalili’s inflexible negotiating stance. They face a single moderate candidate, the only cleric in the race, Hassan Rohani. Though very much an establishment figure, Mr. Rohani is more likely to pursue a conciliatory foreign policy....
The other two, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati, have pledged never to back away from pursuing Iran’s nuclear program but have strongly criticized Mr. Jalili’s inflexible negotiating stance. They face a single moderate candidate, the only cleric in the race, Hassan Rohani. Though very much an establishment figure, Mr. Rohani is more likely to pursue a conciliatory foreign policy....
