In a three-page statement that formally kicked off his presidential campaign for the June 17 vote, powerful Iranian cleric and former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said he was seeking to protect the regime and the fundamental freedoms of its citizens from "extremist tendencies". "Once again, it is necessary that I declare my intentions to run for presidency and put myself to your vote," he wrote.
Rafsanjani, 70, also warned that Iran was facing "destructive tensions that prevent the development of the country", "a cold climate that places the population in a worrying situation" and threats to "rights and fundamental freedoms" that "place the young in danger of a crisis of confidence."
