Disqualified from Election, Larijani Skips Key Council Gatherings

Ali Larijani, a prominent figure in Iranian politics and an advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran, has reportedly stopped attending meetings of the Expediency Discernment Council following his disqualification from the election.

Larijani, who also serves as a permanent member of the Expediency Council and the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, was barred from running for president for the second consecutive time by the Guardian Council.

Larijani has not been present at Expediency Discernment Council meetings since the announcement of candidate qualifications.

The council has convened twice since then, and observers have noted Larijani's absence from photographs of these gatherings.

Earlier, the news website KhabarOnline had suggested that the Guardian Council harbored doubts about Larijani's management skills and resourcefulness, potentially contributing to his disqualification.

Iran will hold a run-off presidential election on July 5 after neither of the top candidates secured more than 50 per cent of votes in Friday's polls.

According to the final results released by the ministry, with more than 24 million people voting, moderate lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian and hardliner Saeed Jalili qualified for the runoff election.