With new elections in Iran on the horizon following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month, politicians such as Iran’s ex-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Larijani, and Saeed Jalili have signed up to run. Ahmadinejad was Iran’s president from 2005-2013 and had a controversial term in office, but is confident he can resolve Iran’s domestic and international issues. In 2017, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had urged him to stay away from the 2021 election, however after signing up he was barred from running. Ahmadinejad’s presidency saw economic problems, inflation and currency devaluation, and the rise in tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, leading to sanctions. Larijani is a conservative figure from a powerful family, and may be the only relatively moderate candidate running for office. This could give him the best chance of receiving a large number of votes; however, he was disqualified from running for the 2021 election by the Guardian Council, which could cause issues for him in the upcoming election. The Guardian Council will begin vetting candidates, and an approved list will be released on June 11.