The Revolutionary Guard's Newspaper Declares Each of the Candidates 'Considered by the Guardian Council' as a 'Victory for the Islamic Republic'

The Revolutionary Guard-affiliated newspaper published the names of six candidates 'considered by the Guardian Council' to replace Ebrahim Raisi, stating that 'the outcome of the ballot box on July 8, with approximately 60% participation, and the victory of any of the candidates means a victory for the Islamic Republic of Iran.' The newspaper Javan, referring to the approval of Masoud Pezeshkian as a candidate from the 'Reformist' faction, wrote: 'If the Reformists lose, they should not blame fraud and violations, and if they win, they should not interpret the people's vote as a demand for fundamental changes.' The upcoming elections have been described by users and political observers with terms such as 'showy military campaign,' 'election circus,' 'stand-up comedy,' and 'farcical display.' In this context, following the announcement of the names of the candidates considered by the Guardian Council, Mohammad Mahajeri, a political analyst affiliated with the 'Principlist' faction, told the newspaper Ham-Mihan: 'It seems that a very elegant engineering has taken place in the elections. Just as the results of the 2021 elections were predetermined, the results of the 2025 elections are also clear at least for those who designed this composition.' The fourteenth presidential election will be held on July 8, following the premature death of Ebrahim Raisi. Given the extensive powers of Ali Khamenei as the 'Supreme Leader' within the structure of the Islamic Republic, the 'President' has little power to reform and change processes and policies in Iran and is completely surrounded by institutions controlled by the 'Leader' of the Islamic Republic. Elections within the structure of the Islamic Republic are also considered 'showy,' and according to Ali Khamenei, government rallies and the presence of some people at the funerals of officials are seen as a 'referendum' confirming and supporting the regime. The political coalition 'Coordination for a Secular Democratic Republic in Iran' issued a statement on Sunday, calling the voting to determine the President of the fourteenth Islamic Republic a 'pseudo-election' and demanded a boycott. In its statement, the coalition described the boycott of the upcoming show elections as a renewal of the commitment to the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement and an investment for saving Iran and a non-violent transition from the Islamic Republic. The coalition includes the Union of Iranian Republicans, the Solidarity of Iranian Republicans, the National Front of Iran-Europe, the organizations of the National Front of Iran abroad, and the Left Party of Iran (Fadaiyan Khalq). The connection between the upcoming elections and Khamenei's project for determining the future leadership of the government is viewed by Reza Parchizadeh as the removal of Larijani, Haqaniyan, Ahmadinejad, and Jahangiri from the circle of the regime's confidants; users' hint: your trip was canceled by Khamenei. The introduction of six candidates 'considered by the Guardian Council'; reactions: the introduction of 'circus election players' indicates the tightening circle of Khamenei's close associates. The 'direct and indirect' intervention of 21 government members in the 'elections' to 'determine' Raisi's replacement.