April 15, The Iran Project – The following is an overview of the most high-profile figures who have registered for Iran's 12th presidential election in the order of their registration dates.

On the first day of the registration process, Seyyed Mostafa Mir-Salim, a member of the Expediency Council, signed up for the 12th presidential election in Iran.

On April 12, former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, accompanying his former aides Hamid Baghaei and Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, registered to run in the country's May presidential election, despite Iran's Supreme Leader's advice not to do so.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has advised Ahmadinejad not to run for president in the May elections, saying his potential candidacy would “polarize” the general atmosphere governing the country.

On the same day, Hamid Baghaei, a vice president to former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, signed up for Iran presidential race.

Seyyed Mohammad Gharazi, a former minister of post, telegraph and telephone under Mousavi and Hashemi Rafsanjani, run for the upcoming presidential elections on April 13.

On the fourth day of the registration process for presidential elections, Mostafa Kavakebian, a member of the Parliament who is also the head of Mardomsalari Party, registered in 2017 presidential elections.

In addition, former Iranian lawmaker Azam Taleghani (daughter of the late Ayatollah Taleghani) registered for the presidential election on Friday (April 14) to challenge a constitutional term which implicitly deprives women of the right to stand in presidential elections.

Under Article 115 of Iran’s Constitution, the president has to be selected from among “religious and political statesmen” who are Iranian by blood.

On April 14, Iran’s incumbent president, Hassan Rouhani, put his name down for the upcoming 12th presidential election, saying he will continue to preserve a landmark nuclear deal that his country reached with world powers in 2015.

Also on Friday, Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi, the current custodian of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH) in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, threw his hat in the ring for the forthcoming presidential contest.

Addressing the media after registering for the presidential election, Raeisi said the status quo in the country can be changed for the better and added that national economy must be insulated from fluctuations in the global economy.

As the registration process for presidential hopefuls entered its fifth and last day, Mohammad Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ayatollah Rafsanjani’s Brother  showed up  in the Interior Ministry to register his name for the country’s presidential election.

In a last-minute registration, Mayor of Tehran Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf applied for candidacy for the post of Iranian president on Saturday evening, as well.

The mayor of Tehran had entered presidential race twice before, in 2005 and in 2013.

First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri also on Saturday registered to run for the country's upcoming presidential elections.

Jahangiri was one of the last who came to Iran’s Elections Headquarters located at the Interior Ministry to register for the elections.

It is worth mentioning that former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili have announced that he would not run for president to help unity among conservatives.

Registration for presidential elections began on April 11 and ended at 18:00 hours local time on Saturday.

The final list of the candidates eligible to run for Iran’s 12th round of presidential election is expected to be announced by the Interior Ministry on April 26–27.

Election campaign will officially begin on April 28 and end on May 17. The Election Day is on May 19.