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Rift between Guardian Council and Ayatollah Khamenei ahead of Iranian Presidential Elections
(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Lt.-Col. (ret.) Michael Segall and Iran Desk - After only 7 out of 592 presidential candidates were approved by Iran's Guardian Council for the June 18 election, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on June 4 that "injustice and sin have been done against some of the candidates who have not received permission to join the election campaign." It is believed that Khamenei wanted the reinstatement of Speaker of Iran's Parliament Ali Larijani. Yet the Guardian Council later announced that there would be no change in the list of candidates. In the first televised candidates' debate on June 5, the seven candidates agreed that the harsh economic situation is unprecedented. Ebrahim Raisi, widely believed to be the preferred candidate of Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards, was revealed during the debate as the weakest candidate. According to the latest surveys, 34% of Iranians said they would "definitely vote" in the elections.