Iran has begun the registration period for candidates wanting to run for the country's presidency ahead of a snap vote at the end of June.
The election's winner will replace the late Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash with seven others earlier this month.
The vote comes at a time of heightened tensions, as relations worsen between Tehran and the United States and domestic protests sweep the country following the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.
Candidates must be aged between 40 and 75 to be eligible to run, and must hold at least a master's degree with four years of experience in the state administration or related fields.
All applicants must also be approved by Iran's 12-member Guardian Council, a panel of clerics and jurists ultimately overseen by the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
It is a panel that has never accepted a woman, nor anyone calling for radical change within the country's governance.
The Interior Ministry, in charge of the country's police, run Iranian elections with no substantial international observation.
Ebrahim Raisi won Iran’s 2021 presidential election after the Guardian Council disqualified all of the candidates with the best chance to potentially challenge him.
That vote saw the lowest turnout in Iran's history for a presidential election, while this year's parliamentary vote saw an even-lower turnout amid widespread boycott calls.
The five-day registration period will close on Tuesday and the Guardian Council is expected to issue its final list of candidates within 10 days.
