Iran's President Hassan Rouhani registered on Friday to run for a second four-year term in the country's May election.

A pragmatist who engineered the country's landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Rouhani won the 2013 election by a landslide on a platform of ending the Islamic Republic's diplomatic isolation and creating a freer society.

"Once again, I am here for Iran, for Islam, for freedom, and for more stability in this country. I am urging all Iranians to vote for Iran and for Islam," Rouhani told reporters on Friday.

READ MORE: Will Iranians re-elect Rouhani?

Critics of the nuclear deal say that the supposed economic benefits of lifted sanctions have yet to trickle down to average Iranians, and palpable frustration in the streets has created a potential opening for conservative opponents.

Rouhani has vowed to remain loyal to the nuclear deal.

"From now on, protecting the deal is one of the most important economic and political issues," he said.

Influential Shia leader Ebrahim Raisi, an ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appears to be the leading hardline candidate so far. He also registered to run on Friday.

But despite months of talks, hardliners have been unable to unite behind a single candidate, and Khamenei has not yet intervened to make them do so.

Within Iran's complex mix of clerical rulers and elected officials, Khamenei has the final say on all state matters.

Though Rouhani won in a single round with more than 50 percent of the vote in 2013 - an election in which no other candidate took more than 17 percent - he could face a tougher campaign this time if hardliners join forces against him.

The five-day registration period for the May 19 election began on Tuesday and will be followed by a process of vetting of the hopefuls by a hardline watchdog body, the Guardian Council.

The Guardian Council, which normally does not approve dissidents or women, will announce the final list of candidates by April 27.

More than 950 people have signed up so far for the vote, among them the hardline former Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who registered on Wednesday.</s>ANKARA (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani registered on Friday to run for a second four-year term, state television said, buoyed by Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers though facing a hardline conservative challenge over his economic record.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani registers to run for a second four-year term in the May election, in Tehran, Iran, April 14, 2017. President.ir/Handout via REUTERS

“Once again, I am here for Iran, for Islam, for freedom and for more stability in this country. I am urging all Iranians to vote for Iran and for Islam,” Rouhani told reporters.

“From today, protecting the nuclear deal is one of my main plans in political and economic fields,” he said, alluding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s dislike of the pact reached under his predecessor Barack Obama, and also to Iranian hardliners who opposed Rouhani’s pursuit of detente with the West.

He won election by a landslide in 2013 on a platform of ending the Islamic Republic’s diplomatic isolation and creating a freer society. But the oil-based economy’s struggle to rebound since the lifting of sanctions as part of the nuclear accord could be exploited by Rouhani’s hardline foes this time around.

Many Iranians have grown impatient with the slow rate of improvement in their economic fortunes since international financial and trade sanctions were lifted after Iran curbed its disputed nuclear activity under its deal with six world powers.

Influential Shi’ite cleric Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of a powerful organization in charge of Iran’s holiest shrine, appears to be the leading hardline candidate. He also registered on Friday.

“The people’s vote will determine the country’s fate...The economic status quo in Iran can improve,” Raisi, an ally of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told reporters.

Rouhani won in a single round with more than 50 percent of the vote in 2013 when no other candidate took more than 17 percent, but may face a tougher campaign this time if often-feuding hardliners can join forces against him.

But despite months of talks, hardliners have been unable to unite behind a single candidate and Khamenei appears to have not yet intervened to make them do so.

Within Iran’s complex mix of clerical rulers and elected officials, Khamenei has the final say on all state matters.

But some prominent conservatives, including parliament speaker Ali Larijani, have thrown their weight behind Rouhani, believing Iran would benefit from a limited opening to the West and aware that this is what many younger voters want.

Related Coverage Iran's President Rouhani seeks second term despite hardline resistance

The five-day registration period for the May 19 election began on Tuesday and will be followed by a process of vetting of the hopefuls by a hardline watchdog body, the Guardian Council.

More than 1,010 people have signed up so far for the vote.

Several former ministers and hardline former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are among those who have registered.</s>Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will run in upcoming elections for a second term. Rouhani contributed to the landmark nuclear deal with six countries, including the US, in 2015. Hardliners in Iran believe he made too many concessions to reach a deal.Rouhani’s main rival in the elections will be conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi. Irans presidential elections will be held on 19 May.</s>Iranian cleric Ebrahim Raisi gestures after registering to run for next month's presidential elections at the interior ministry in Tehran on April 14, 2017 (AFP Photo/ATTA KENARE)

Tehran (AFP) - Iranian hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi registered on Friday to run for next month's presidential election, state television showed.

The 56-year-old has emphasised his concern for the poor and the high levels of unemployment -- considered a weak spot for President Hassan Rouhani who also registered on Friday.

"Despite all the efforts of previous governments, the situation of the country is such that people ask why is there so much unemployment?" Raisi told reporters at the interior ministry where registration was being held.

He said he would announce detailed economic policies at a later date.

"I have come to be the candidate for the whole of Iran. I don't limit myself to a certain group, party or faction," he added.

Having rarely been in the political spotlight, Raisi has given little insight into his view of foreign affairs, but said Friday: "Our relations will be ongoing with every country -- except the occupying regime of Israel -- but on condition of respect."

Iran's conservatives remain divided, but Raisi has emerged as a favourite.

He is considered a close ally of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who last year appointed him to run the powerful charity-cum-business-empire Astan Qods Razavi (AQR), which oversees the Imam Reza shrine in the holy city of Mashhad.

"My mission in AQR has been to help the poor and from the day one we created a department to aid the poor."</s>Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani registered Friday to run in the upcoming presidential elections in May, saying he will continue to preserve a landmark nuclear deal that his country reached with world powers in 2015.

Associated Press journalists watched as Rouhani, 68, registered on the fourth day of the allocated period which ends on Saturday evening. In 2013, he had registered on the first day.

The upcoming vote will be seen, among other things, as a referendum on the nuclear agreement with world powers, under which Iran agreed to curb its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.

Running on the platform “More freedom and peace” Rouhani said, “Freedom should be expanded in both scope and strength in this country. Our universities and our youth should feel more lively and delighted.”

Rouhani vowed to remain loyal to the nuclear deal, and urged all Iranians to vote.

“From today on preserving the nuclear deal will be one of the most important domestic, political and economic issues for the Iranian nation,” said Rouhani.

Rouhani portrayed the deal as a newborn baby and hinted that his hard-line opponents were not fit to protect it, “Those who several times attempted to kill the child cannot be a good caretaker for the child.”

He said he would continue his past promise to “salvage the economy” and “engage constructively” with the world.

“The Iranian nation will not stop half way, and will continue down its path. We’ll not go back halfway. We’ll continue down our path until the end,” Rouhani said.

Rouhani also mentioned the giant joint gas field, the North Field, Iran will be developing with Qatar.

Earlier on Wednesday former hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his close ally Hamid Baghaei also filed to run for the presidency.

Also on Friday Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line cleric close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had earlier announced plans to run promising to fight poverty and corruption, registered to run in the presidential elections.

Raisi in his first remarks after registering praised the country’s democracy and the necessity of rule of law during the elections and afterward.

Raisi, 56, a professor of Islamic law, has served in the country’s judiciary for decades. He is also a member of Assembly of Experts, an all-cleric body that will rule on the successor for the Supreme Leader. Raisi is also prosecutor of the Special Cleric Court, which deals with the offenses of clerics.

Earlier this month Ebrahim Raisi announced his readiness in a statement in which he said the country is suffering from “structural chronic illness and incorrect managerial traditions.”

In 2016, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appointed Raisi as head of the Imam Reza charity foundation, which owns a massive business conglomerate and endowments in Iran.

Both Rouhani and Raisi on Friday avoided raising controversial issues, acquiescing to a longstanding demand by Khamenei who had urged a non-polarized election.

Registration will remain open until Saturday, and any Iranian national can apply. The applicants will then be vetted by the Guardian Council, a clerical body that will announce a final list of candidates by April 27. The council normally does not approve dissidents or women.

The nuclear deal was engineered by the Rouhani administration and went into effect in 2016. Iran has since resumed selling oil and signed deals worth billions of dollars to replace its aging commercial airline inventory.

Critics of the deal, however, complain that economic benefits have yet to trickle down to average Iranians.</s>ANKARA (REUTERS) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist who engineered the country's landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, registered on Friday (April 14) to run for a second four-year term in the May election, state television reported.

"Once again, I am here for Iran, for Islam, for freedom and for more stability in this country. I am urging all Iranians to vote for Iran and for Islam," Rouhani told reporters.

He won the election by a landslide in 2013 on a platform of ending the Islamic Republic's diplomatic isolation and creating a freer society, but faces a stiff challenge from conservative hardliners because of discontent over the economy.

Influential Shi'ite cleric Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of a powerful organisation in charge of Iran's holiest shrine, appears to be the leading hardline candidate.

But despite months of talks, hardliners have been unable to unite behind a single candidate and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appears to have not yet intervened to make them do so.

Within Iran's complex mix of clerical rulers and elected officials, Khamenei has the final say on all state matters.

An ally of Khamenei, Raisi also registered on Friday for the vote. But some prominent conservatives, including parliament speaker Ali Larijani, have thrown their support behind Rouhani.

Though Rouhani won in a single round with more than 50 per cent of the vote in 2013 when no other candidate took more than 17 per cent, he could face a tougher campaign this time if hardliners join forces against him. Many Iranians have grown impatient with the slow rate of improvement in their economic fortunes since the lifting of sanctions after Iran curbed its disputed nuclear activity under its deal with world powers.

The five-day registration period for the May 19 election began on Tuesday and will be followed by a process of vetting of the hopefuls by a hardline watchdog body, the Guardian Council.

More than 950 people have signed up so far for the vote. Several former ministers and hardline former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are among those who have registered.</s>ANKARA, April 14 (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist who championed the country's nuclear deal with world powers, registered on Friday to run for a second four-year term in the May presidential election, state TV reported.

Rouhani won election by a landslide in 2013 on a platform of ending the Islamic Republic's diplomatic isolation and creating a freer society.

The five-day registration period for the May 19 election started on Tuesday and will be followed by a process of vetting of the hopefuls by a hardline watchdog body, The Guardian Council.

Over 860 people have signed up so far for the vote. Several former ministers and hardliner former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are among those who have registered.

Despite months of talks, hardliners have been unable to unite behind a single candidate and Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appears to have not yet intervened to make them do so.

Within Iran's complex mix of clerical rulers and elected officials, Khamenei has the final say on all state matters.

Influential cleric Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of a powerful organization in charge of Iran´s holiest shrine, appears to be the leading hardline candidate.

An ally of Khamenei, Raisi has yet to register for the vote, however. Prominent conservatives, including parliament speaker Ali Larijani, have thrown their support behind Rouhani. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Hugh Lawson)</s>Tehran: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, the driving force behind a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, registered on Friday to run for re-election next month, state television footage showed.

The politically moderate cleric faces a tougher than expected battle for a second term on May 19 as criticism mounts over the continued stagnation of the economy.

The president appeared in the afternoon at the interior ministry, where registration to stand for the election runs until Saturday.

He has made much of his successes in controlling inflation and reaching a landmark nuclear deal with world powers that ended many sanctions. 

 "In every aspect that you consider, figures tell us that after the (nuclear deal), there is more space for movement and progress," he told reporters last week.

Rouhani`s support among moderate and reformist lawmakers remains solid, but disappointment with the 68-year-old`s administration is palpable on the streets.

Unemployment is stuck at 12 percent, the promised billions in foreign investment have not materialised, and he has failed to ease social restrictions or release political prisoners, including opposition figures held under house arrest for their part in 2009 protests.

The conservative opposition remains divided, but attention has lately focused on hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi, 56, who runs the powerful Imam Reza charitable foundation.

Raisi has emphasised his concern for the poor, and is seen as a close ally of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The conservative-controlled Guardian Council will vet the hundreds of registered hopefuls over the coming week, before releasing a final list of candidates.</s>ANKARA, April 14 (Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani, who registered on Friday to seek a second four-year mandate in a May 19 election, helped end Iran's diplomatic and economic isolation in his first term by clinching a landmark nuclear deal with major powers.

But, despite remaining faithful to Iran's theocratic system, Rouhani has angered hardliners with his calls for improved relations with the West, more freedom of expression and an easing of strict Islamic rules.

"Once again, I am here for Iran, for Islam, for freedom and for more stability in this country," Rouhani told reporters on Friday when announcing his bid.

Rouhani's hardline critics accuse him of having encouraged moral corruption in society by advocating social tolerance. Some erstwhile supporters who had hoped for radical social changes under his presidency are also critical, saying he has failed to stand up to Iran's conservative religious establishment.

"Rouhani is a regime insider. He is loyal to the establishment. He is not a reformist but a bridge between hardliners and reformists," said a former senior official.

"He lacks enough power to confront those who are against reforms, whether social or economic."

The president's constitutional powers are limited. Ultimate authority rests with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has accused the West of using women as a tool to advertise products and satisfy "disorderly and unlawful sexual needs".

Some analysts doubt that Rouhani, who was elected in a landslide in 2013 on a pledge to reduce Iran's isolation and create a freer society, has enough will to improve the country's human rights situation.

Others believe Rouhani has depleted his political capital with the Supreme Leader by securing his consent to the 2015 nuclear deal, leaving nothing for domestic reforms.

Born into a religious family in 1948, the mid-ranking Shi'ite cleric played an active role in the opposition that overthrew the U.S.-backed Shah in 1979. He has held several sensitive jobs in the Islamic Republic, including representing Khamenei for 25 years at the Supreme National Security Council.

Rouhani is also a member of the Expediency Council and the Assembly of Experts, two influential advisory bodies in Iran's multi-tiered power structure. The latter will choose the country's next supreme leader.

Human rights campaigners say there have been few, if any, moves to bring about greater social freedoms as Rouhani's main focus has been boosting the sanctions-damaged economy.

Khamenei and his hardline allies have strongly criticised the slow pace of economic revival since the lifting of sanctions last year, part of the nuclear deal with six major powers whereby Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear programme.

Many remaining unilateral U.S. sanctions, have hindered the foreign investment that could fuel an economic recovery.

Strong criticism of Rouhani's economic record by hardliners including Khamenei in recent weeks have led some analysts to speculate whether the president may still be blocked from seeking another term.

The hardline Guardian Council, which vets candidates before they stand, has prevented other influential figures from running in previous elections.

But insiders said disqualifying a sitting president might be very costly for the establishment, especially given a hostile U.S. administration in Washington. President Donald Trump has frequently criticised the nuclear deal with Iran.

"With the deal in jeopardy, the system will be in vital need of Rouhani´s team of smiling diplomats and economic technocrats to shift the blame to the U.S. and keep Iran's economy afloat," said Iran analyst Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group.

Influential Shi'ite cleric Ebrahim Raisi, the custodian of a powerful organisation in charge of Iran´s holiest shrine, appears to be the leading hardline candidate in the presidential race, though some prominent conservatives have already thrown their weight behind Rouhani.

Political analysts said they expected Iranian voters to rally around Rouhani even though many complain that they have still seen few economic benefits from the lifting of sanctions.

"Rouhani is still very popular and he is in a very strong position ... People will vote for him to prevent a hardliner from winning the election," said political analyst Saeed Leylaz. (Editing by Gareth Jones)</s>Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist who championed the country’s nuclear deal with world powers, registered on Friday to run for a second four-year term in the May presidential election, state TV reported.

Rouhani won election by a landslide in 2013 on a platform of ending the Islamic Republic’s diplomatic isolation and creating a freer society.
President Hassan Rouhani seeks for a second term while one of his main rivals Ebrahim Raisi also registers with just one day remaining for the submission.