Iran has been in the throes of a presidential election campaign since Sunday, when the Guardian Council announced the final slate of candidates to run for the second-highest office in the land.
The Guardian Council, a panel of jurists and clerics appointed by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, decides who is allowed to contest in any of the country’s elections. Of the more than 80 current or former regime officials who applied to run, only six have been given the green light.
As expected, most of the approved candidates are conservative hardliners, with the top contenders being Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and former national security adviser Saeed Jalili. Surprisingly however, Masoud Pezeshkian, the only reformist candidate in the shortlist, has quickly garnered support and now counts as a serious contender, even if he has a steep hill to climb.
A physician and an MP from the north-western city of Tabriz, Dr Pezeshkian has qualities that will surely appeal to many voters.
He has no serious corruption charges against him or his family. He can point to the fact that, as a heart surgeon, he would make a lot more money if he were to quit politics and return to private practice. He is also respected as a single parent who raised his children on his own after his wife died in an accident.
Dr Pezeshkian has political and administrative experience, having served under former president Mohammad Khatami as health minister more than two decades ago. Since 2008, he has stood out as a reformist MP in a conservative-dominated Parliament.
In the June 28 election, the soon-to-be septuagenarian will hope to get a sizeable number of votes from the country’s minority groups. He is of Azeri-Turkic heritage, as are about 15 million fellow Iranians, and was born to a Kurdish mother in the Kurdish-majority city of Mahabad and speaks the language.
The big question is, can he help revive Iran’s moribund reformist movement?
Eslahtalaban, as the movement is called, is nominally one of two informal schools that make up the official politics of the Islamic Republic (the other is Osoolgerayan, which consists of conservative “principlists”). But in recent years, the reformists have been driven out of almost every position of power, with the Guardian Council having barred them from most elections.
In 2009, Eslahtalaban held demonstrations to challenge the re-election of the then president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It was a seminal moment in national politics, for that is when Mr Khamenei shed the public position of non-partisanship and openly backed Mr Ahmadinejad, a conservative. Iran’s security apparatus then violently cracked down on the movement, following which the main reformist parties were banned and several leaders were put on sham trials and sentenced to years in prison.
The movement has yet to recover from that blow. It hasn’t held the presidency since Mr Khatami stepped down in 2005 after two full terms, with its candidates repeatedly barred from running for office. What it has managed to do is survive and remain politically relevant. Rather than call for the overthrow of the regime, it has backed moderate candidates such as Hassan Rouhani, another two-term former president.
In recent years, however, the Guardian Council has outdone itself, primarily by disqualifying reformist candidates aiming to run for Parliament. This has spurred many within the movement to boycott the last two parliamentary elections.
In 2021, the Council barred the candidacy of all reformists except one, former central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, who wasn’t considered a strong candidate. Mr Hemmati, though, finished third and garnered 8.5 per cent of the vote. Interestingly, one of the candidates to have been barred then was Dr Pezeshkian.
That he has been allowed to run for president a mere two years later could be a ploy on the part of the regime's efforts to get out the vote.
The uncompetitive 2021 presidential election helped Mr Khamenei put his trusted candidate, Ebrahim Raisi, in power. But the regime’s support base narrowed down considerably and for the first time in a presidential election held since 1979, a majority of voters stayed home. Lacklustre turnout was also a theme during the 2020 and 2024 parliamentary elections, and something needed to be done about it.
It could be the case Mr Khamenei has calculated that Dr Pezeshkian is not strong enough to win the election but might generate enthusiasm among the reformist base enough to raise the overall voter turnout to above 50 per cent once again.
Dr Pezeshkian has already secured the resolute support of the Iranian Reformist Front, which brings together all the major reformist parties. IRF chairwoman Azar Mansouri said: “In this unequal scene, we will work for Dr Pezeshkian’s victory while also pursuing rights of all Iranians, including the right to a free, just and competitive elections.”
To his benefit, he will also be the main choice for centrists since the main moderate candidate, Ali Larijani, was barred from running.
The only other choice for centrist voters is Mostafa Pourmohammadi, who served as cabinet minister under both Mr Ahmadinejad and Mr Rouhani. But as a cleric who has long been associated with the regime’s judicial and security organs, his candidacy comes with baggage and few expect him to win.
Given that, Dr Pezeshkian has secured endorsements from Mr Rouhani’s Moderation and Development Party, as well as from key figures such as former vice president Eshaq Jahangiri and former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
But endorsements from elders aren’t enough for Dr Pezeshkian to win. He needs to get out the vote, particularly by inspiring the mostly disillusioned citizenry. With hundreds of protesters having been killed during demonstrations in recent years, many Iranians have lost all hope in change.
The heart surgeon’s campaign has, so far, failed to tug at their heartstrings. In his first televised interview on Monday, he pledged to follow “the general policies set by the supreme leader” – not exactly a rousing call to those who need the motivation to cast their ballot.
Many of his supporters expressed their disappointment after watching the interview, including an IRF spokesperson who urged Dr Pezeshkian to “use a rhetoric in line with the expectations of the majority who are critical of the status quo”. He still has a chance to make amends in the upcoming televised debates.
Dr Pezeshkian’s chances of becoming the next president remain dim. Nonetheless, the very fact that he has been allowed to run has given some hope to Iran’s reformists. For a movement that’s been out of power for almost two decades, it’s not nothing.
Sly%20Cooper%20and%20the%20Thievius%20Raccoonus
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
%3Cp%3EAl%20Khayma%0D%3Cbr%3EBait%20Maryam%0D%3Cbr%3EBrasserie%20Boulud%0D%3Cbr%3EFi'lia%0D%3Cbr%3Efolly%0D%3Cbr%3EGoldfish%0D%3Cbr%3EIbn%20AlBahr%0D%3Cbr%3EIndya%20by%20Vineet%0D%3Cbr%3EKinoya%0D%3Cbr%3ENinive%0D%3Cbr%3EOrfali%20Bros%0D%3Cbr%3EReif%20Japanese%20Kushiyaki%0D%3Cbr%3EShabestan%0D%3Cbr%3ETeible%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
%3Cp%3EBy%202030%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%20aims%20to%20achieve%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2039.3%20million%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20nearly%2064%25%20up%20from%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20Dh90%20billion%20contribution%20to%20GDP%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2084%25%20more%20than%20Dh49%20billion%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%20178%2C000%20new%20jobs%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20bringing%20the%20total%20to%20about%20366%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%2052%2C000%20hotel%20rooms%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20up%2053%25%20from%2034%2C000%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%207.2%20million%20international%20visitors%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20almost%2090%25%20higher%20compared%20to%202023's%203.8%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%80%A2%203.9%20international%20overnight%20hotel%20stays%2C%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2022%25%20more%20from%203.2%20nights%20in%202023%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
THE SPECS
Range Rover Sport Autobiography Dynamic
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 518bhp
Torque: 625Nm
Speed: 0-100kmh 5.3 seconds
Price: Dh633,435
On sale: now
The five pillars of Islam
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key developments in maritime dispute
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
Company profile
Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi
Based: Jordan
Sector: Technology
Initial investment: Close to $100,000
Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors
Avatar%20(2009)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJames%20Cameron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESam%20Worthington%2C%20Zoe%20Saldana%2C%20Sigourney%20Weaver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.0%20twin-turbo%20inline%20six-cylinder%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeight-speed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E503hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E600Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh450%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
No.6 Collaborations Project
Ed Sheeran (Atlantic)
'The Predator'
Dir: Shane Black
Starring: Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Keegan-Michael Key
Two and a half stars
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Fiorentina v Torino (8pm)
Hellas Verona v Roma (10.45pm)
Sunday
Parma v Napoli (2.30pm)
Genoa v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (8pm)
Juventus v Sampdoria (10.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Bologna (10.45om)
Playing September 30
Benevento v Inter Milan (8pm)
Udinese v Spezia (8pm)
Lazio v Atalanta (10.45pm)
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
