Mahmoud Ahmadinejad registered for candidacy today alongside 100 supporters in a chaotic performance. Ahmadinejad first met his supporters in Narmak 72 Square near his house, where they begged him to register, a request to which Ahmadinejad finally theatrically accepted. From there, he walked with his supporters to the Election Headquarters in Fatemi Street, where he engaged in more theatrics, including climbing a gate to wave to supporters. After registration, he fronted the media whose questions he refused to answer, and he instead read preprepared statements making threats if his candidacy was not approved. In the midst of the chaos, Ahmadinejad’s supporters, one of whom was carrying soil from the graves of protesters killed in the 2019 demonstrations, tried to accompany their candidate inside, only to be stopped by Ministry of Interior officials who traded punches with the crowd. It is unlikely that the Guardian Council will approve Ahmadinejad as a candidate.
