The rejected Iranian presidential candidate Ali Larijani has criticized the country's powerful Guardian Council in an unusually open manner.
"I had hoped that all of them together could address the country's problems, especially the economic pressure on the people caused by the sanctions," Larijani wrote in a handwritten statement shared on X on Monday. "But in my case, the Guardian Council has prevented this endeavour with opaque means."
The former parliamentary speaker and chief nuclear negotiator Larijani had been considered a secret favourite in political circles because he is recognized both within the system and in the reform camp.
He was also considered to have sufficient experience to deal with the various crises facing the country, including the resumption of nuclear negotiations with the West.
These are a top priority for the country, as a new nuclear deal is the only way to lift the sanctions against the Islamic country and thus end its acute economic crisis.
Although the 66-year-old mathematician is considered a "man of the system," he has increasingly distanced himself from the country's arch-conservative leadership in recent years.
He is now categorized as a moderate conservative and is also respected by the opposition as a critic of the government. The politician's critical views were also the main reason for his disqualification on ideological grounds from the 2021 presidential election.
A new presidential election in Iran was called because the previous incumbent, Ebrahim Raisi, died in a helicopter accident on May 19.
On Sunday, the Guardian Council excluded a large majority of candidates from the presidential election, including Larijani.
Moderate politicians and candidates from the reform camp were the main losers. A total of six candidates will enter the race on June 28.
In Iran, unlike many other countries, the president is not the head of state, but does lead the government. The real power is concentrated in the hands of religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The 85-year-old leader also exerts a decisive influence on the Guardian Council. As a result, citizens can only choose from a group of candidates who are loyal to the system.
The Guardian Council consists of 12 Islamic clerics and jurists, half of whom are elected by parliament and half of whom are appointed by Khamenei. The council decides on the constitutional conformity of laws and also on the qualification of candidates in elections.
Many people in Iran are disillusioned in the face of political repression, an economic crisis and the failed attempts at reform in recent decades.
Voter turnout in this year's parliamentary elections reached a record low of around 40%.