Iranian Presidential Elections

On June 17, Iranians will go to the polls to elect their next president. Though more than 1,000 people sought to run, the Guardian Council accepted only eight candidates, including former president 'Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, widely seen as the frontrunner. The elections come against the backdrop of diplomatic tension over the direction of Iran's nuclear program.

How important is the presidency in the Islamic Republic? Will the winner have any impact on Iranian policy at home and abroad? Will the presidential election affect Iran's nuclear program? Can a new president curtail Iranian terror sponsorship? What do the elections mean for U.S. policy?

Please join AEI as we explore these and other questions at a panel discussion with experts including Mohsen Sazegara, a founder of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and now a prominent oppositionist; A. William Samii, author of the weekly Iran Report; and other experts.

About the Author

 

Michael
Rubin
  • Michael Rubin is a former Pentagon official whose major research area is the Middle East, with a special focus on Iran, Syria, Arab Politics, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Turkey. Rubin regularly instructs senior military officers deploying to the Middle East on regional politics, and teaches Iranian history, culture, and politics onboard U.S. aircraft carriers. Rubin has lived in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and spent time with the Taliban before 9/11. He is currently completing a history of U.S. diplomacy with rogue regimes.
  • Phone: 202-862-5851
    Email: mrubin@aei.org
  • Assistant Info

    Name: Ahmad Majidyar
    Phone: 202-862-5845
    Email: ahmad.majidyar@aei.org
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