Reactions to Ahmadinejad's Registration in News Agencies; Holocaust Denier Registers for Presidential Election

International news agencies, including Reuters and the Associated Press, reported, citing the state television of the Islamic Republic, that on Sunday, June 3, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad registered for the presidential election of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Associated Press noted that the return of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former 'hardline' president of Iran, who questioned the Holocaust during his presidency, comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and the West over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, Russia's arming in the war against Ukraine, and widespread repression of dissent. Furthermore, the Iranian government has been supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen in their attacks on ships in the Red Sea under the pretext of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and backing proxy militias across the Middle East, aiming to escalate regional tensions. The news agency described Ahmadinejad's registration as the return of a 'populist politician' to the scene, which will pressure Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic. Part of the report mentioned that he openly challenged the 85-year-old Khamenei during his presidency. Reuters also reported that Ahmadinejad, whose eligibility for the presidential election had not been previously confirmed, may again have his candidacy rejected by the Guardian Council. Ahmadinejad's candidacy was rejected by the Guardian Council a year after Khamenei warned him that his participation in the twelfth presidential election 'would not be in his or the country's interest.' Reuters referenced Ahmadinejad's reelection in 2009, stating that his reelection sparked protests that shook the ruling theocracy, but security forces led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps suppressed the protests with killings and mass arrests. Iranian media reported the beginning of candidate registration for the fourteenth presidential election starting from the morning of Thursday, June 1. The registration for this election is set to last for five days. The presidential election is being held under circumstances where the second round of the Islamic Consultative Assembly elections faced widespread public boycotts and the lowest participation rate in the history of the Islamic Republic. The presidential election is scheduled for July 29 of this year. This election is being held earlier than scheduled, in 2025, due to the death of Ebrahim Raisi following a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan Province on May 19. Ahmadinejad's presence at the Ministry of Interior for registration in the presidential election has made him a 'shadow man' of the leadership's office, becoming a candidate in the darkness of the presidential election amidst political chaos in Iran, from disputes in the Islamic Consultative Assembly to infighting among 'insiders' to reach the presidency.