Iran's president registers to run in May elections

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei revealed past year that he had recommended to Ahmadinejad not to enter the contest.

Ahmadinejad's firebrand style could prove appealing for hard-liners seeking a tough-talking candidate who can stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump.

He sought to reach across political lines on Friday, saying: "I will be the candidate for the whole of Iran".

Associated Press journalists watched Wednesday, April 12, as stunned election officials processed the former hard-line president's paperwork.

"The preservation of the (nuclear deal) is one of the most important political and economic issues in the Iranian nation".

During Ahmadinejad's administration, Iran faced heavy global sanctions for its nuclear program, which Western countries said aimed to develop weapons. He dodged questions about issues such as Iran's missile program and the possible reaction by the USA and Israel to another Ahmadinejad presidency.

That referenced Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in 2009, which sparked massive protests and a sweeping crackdown in which thousands of people were detained and dozens were killed.

"It's not a rejection of anything, it's not a disagreement of any kind, it's just a decision that is being made internally in Iran that the tone might need to change, and then people will decide what direction they want better".

Khamenei has said Ahmadinejad candidacy would create a "polarized situation" that would be "harmful for the county".

"The production capacity of industrial and defense organizations has increased by 148% and the exports of defense sector by 227 percent...", the president said, comparing the figures to those in 2013 when he took office.

One big question is why Raisi would risk a run for the presidency if he has ambitions to become supreme leader as many speculate.

Ahmadinejad said his decision to run was meant to help former Vice-President Hamid Baghaei, a close confidant.

A third prominent contender is the former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The five-day registration for the presidential election opened on April 11.

Like all candidates, the 60-year-old must be vetted and approved by a powerful constitutional watchdog known as the Guardian Council before he can ultimately run. The council normally does not approve dissidents or women.

"I do not think it has a message for Iran", said Ahmadinejad of the U.S. "Iran is a powerful country and people like Mr. Trump or the United States administration can not hurt Iran".

Khamenei and his hardline allies have strongly criticized the slow pace of economic revival since the lifting of sanctions previous year, part of the nuclear deal with six major powers whereby Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program. Iran has since resumed selling oil and signed deals worth billions of dollars to replace its aging commercial airline inventory.