Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Mayor of Tehran, shows his ink-stained finger after registering his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections at the ministry of interior in the capital Tehran on April 14, 2017 (AFP Photo/STR)

Tehran (AFP) - Registration for next month's Iranian presidential election closed on Saturday, with more than 1,600 hopefuls signing up, including a last-minute entry by Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Around half a dozen candidates are normally approved, with the campaign set to start on April 28 and the vote on May 19. The biggest surprise from this week's registration was the appearance of former hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 60, who shocked everyone by signing up against the advice of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri submit their candidacies as registration closes. The final list of approved candidates will be announced on April 27.