Examining Iran's elections: Candidates and the nuclear agreement - an overview

Report by Toni Mrad, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Although US President Joe Biden declared the nuclear agreement between Iran and the US dead in 2022, this issue will remain central to the six presidential candidates in Iran's upcoming elections.

Some candidates, like the reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian, advocate returning to the nuclear agreement. 

Pezeshkian supports building constructive relations with Washington and European capitals to end Iran's isolation. He believes that reaching a nuclear agreement will lift sanctions on Iran and increase its oil exports.

On the other hand, there are candidates who do not outright reject negotiations with the US for a nuclear agreement but have reservations.

Among them are the hardliner candidate Alireza Zakani, conservatives Mostafa Pourmohammadi, and Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, who criticized the nuclear negotiators for signing the 2015 agreement that allowed the US to withdraw easily. 

Alongside these three candidates, conservative candidate Saeed Jalili also criticized the nuclear talks, arguing that Iran gave up things for nothing, adding that his country complied with the previous Iranian agreement while the other parties lagged in its implementation.

As for the candidate Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is considered flexible on the Iranian nuclear file, he linked negotiations with Western countries to the economic benefits that can be obtained, especially in terms of lifting sanctions. 

However, at the same time, Qalibaf called for continuing to increase the country's nuclear capabilities, considering it a strategy that pays off by forcing the West to negotiate with Tehran.

However, the question remains: Does the Iranian president play a role in the nuclear agreement negotiations?

In conclusion, it can be said that all candidates support the idea of reaching a nuclear agreement with the United States in exchange for lifting American sanctions on Iran.