Ali Khamenei bans Hassan Khomeini from running in presidential elections
Yasser Khomeini, grandson of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, says that his brother Hassan Khomeini intended to run in the 2021 presidential election, but backed out of the decision due to opposition from Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic.
Yasser Khomeini told the Jamaran news site on Monday, April 13, that Hassan Khomeini "was hesitantly consulting and examining the aspects of the matter until today, according to his scheduled meetings with the leader, he went to see him. During this meeting, the leader of the revolution did not consider his candidacy in the elections advisable."
He added that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has asked Ruhollah Khomeini's grandson "not to enter this arena in the current circumstances."
In recent days, some groups, including the Veterans' Assembly, met with Hassan Khomeini and asked him to run for president.
However, Yasser Khomeini said that after Ali Khamenei's comments, "it is natural that his decision is clear and Akhavi certainly has no decision to run."
Hassan Khomeini had previously been barred from running in the elections. He registered to be a member of the Assembly of Experts in December 2015, but his eligibility was rejected by the Guardian Council.
The Guardian Council cited his "failure to appear in the Ijtihad exam" as the reason for his disqualification, and Hassan Khomeini referred to this issue and said that the Guardian Council's rejection of his "scientific qualifications" surprised him and many others.
At that time, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the then head of the Expediency Discernment Council, criticized the disqualification of the grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic in the Assembly of Experts elections and asked the members of the Guardian Council, "Where did they get their qualifications from and who gave them permission to judge?"
The 13th presidential election in Iran is scheduled to be held on June 18 this year, simultaneously with the sixth round of elections for Islamic city and village councils.
Reformist groups that have prepared to participate in these elections have not yet been able to nominate a candidate, while conservative factions have nominated numerous candidates, especially from among the military.
On the other hand, independents such as former MP Ali Motahari have also entered the election scene.
Previously, Hossein Dehghan, former Minister of Defense and military advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Republic, and Mustafa Kawakbian, Secretary General of the Democracy Party, have officially announced their candidacies to participate in this round of elections.
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Foreign Minister, and Saeed Mohammad, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, are also mentioned as other possible candidates.
Source: Radio Farda
