Conservative Calibaf submits candidacy for Iran's presidential race.
President of Iran's Parliament, Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, will now lead the country. The announcement came as Qalibaf filed his candidacy for the upcoming June 28 election - the last day allowed for registration. The need for this election arose due to the death of previous President, Ebrahim Raisi, in a helicopter crash in May.
Qalibaf attempted unsuccessfully to become the country's leader in 2005, 2013, and withdrew from the presidential race in 2017. For a decade, he served as the mayor of the capital, Tehran, where major subway development and high-rise construction took place. Qalibaf's parliamentary position was recently renewed.
But Qalibaf isn't only known for his political career, he's also remembered by many for his support of violent measures against Iranian students in 1999. During that time, Qalibaf held a senior position in the Revolutionary Guard. In 2003, as the police chief of Iran, he's accused of ordering a shooting incident against students.
