Iranian presidential candidate sparks controversy with Saddam Hussein photo

Shafaq News/ Iranian presidential candidate Mostafa Pourmohammadi sparked controversy on Tuesday by posting a photo of himself with former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

The caption accompanying the photo stated that he "firmly sought after the rights of the Iranian people."

The post has elicited mixed reactions within political circles, with some viewing it as a bold statement of Pourmohammadi's past stances, while others condemned it.

Later, Pourmohammadi shared another image showing former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif shaking hands with Saddam Hussein.

Iranians choose a president on Friday in a tightly controlled election following Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash last month, with the outcome expected to influence the succession to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's top decision-maker.

With Iran's supreme leader now 85, it is likely that the next president will be closely involved in the eventual process of choosing a successor to Khamenei, who has ensured candidates sharing his views dominate the presidential contest.

Raisi was widely seen as a potential successor to Khamenei, and his sudden death has sparked a race among hardliners seeking to influence the selection of Iran's next top leader.

Prominent among the hardliners are Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, parliament speaker and former head of the powerful Revolutionary Guards, and Saeed Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator.

The sole moderate candidate, Massoud Pezeshkian, has the endorsement of Iran's politically-sidelined reformist camp that advocates detente with the West.