According to reports from the Tasnim news agency, Parviz Fattah, Mehrdad Bazrpash, and Alireza Zakani are likely candidates in the upcoming presidential elections.
Some of these individuals have already begun preparations, including setting up headquarters and engaging in consultations.
Alireza Zakani has sought candidacy since 2013 but was rejected that year and later approved as a backup candidate in the 2021 elections to facilitate Ebrahim Raisi’s candidacy.
Zakani's tenure as Tehran’s mayor provided him with significant financial resources and a degree of independence from the government.
While the mayor-to-president model has succeeded once, other mayors aspiring to the presidency have failed.
Zakani, known as the “revolutionary tank” for his aggressive rhetoric and attacks on reformists, maintained his combative style even as mayor.
However, this approach may not translate well to his current ambitions, as even state media have criticized him, challenging his “revolutionary tank” image.
Zakani faces multiple challenges, including legal issues and scrutiny of his personal life.
If the government opts for a candidate without debate, as in the 2021 elections, Zakani is not the top choice.
Additionally, if figures like Saeed Jalili enter the race, radical revolutionary youth may favor them over Zakani.
In normal circumstances, Zakani lacks significant political backing and relies mainly on the financial resources accumulated during his mayoral tenure.
Numerous controversies have arisen during Zakani’s tenure as mayor of Tehran.
Apart from contentious issues like mosque construction in parks and the employment of hijab enforcers in the subway, there have been internal conflicts within the fundamentalist community and the city council.
One such controversy involved Zakani's defense of granting deposits to municipal managers, purportedly for housing needs.
This move sparked outrage among nine council members, particularly after allegations surfaced of nepotism involving Hossein Heydari, Zakani’s son-in-law, meddling in capital affairs.
Gholamreza Tajgardon, the representative of Gachsaran, responded to Zakani’s protests against his credentials by saying, “Perhaps I'm the stained glass, but your napkin isn't clean enough to wipe me.”
Before this, scrutiny fell on the financial dealings of Zakani’s eldest daughter, Maryam Zakani, and her husband, including contracts with the Islamic Development Organization and their daughter’s education in Switzerland.
Additionally, Zakani and his associates have registered charities such as the Warsin Kowsar Charitable Foundation and Knowing and Controlling Cancer, which share an address with the political group Jame'at Rahpooyan.
Jame'at Rahpooyan Islamic Revolution, a fundamentalist political party, counts Zakani among its founding board members.
Rumors about Zakani’s temporary marriage with the sister of Ruhullah Ajamian, a Basiji who died during the 2022 protests, have circulated in recent months.
A tweet by Ali Ghafarian, managing director of Sarat News, sarcastically mentioned rumors of Zakani’s alleged second marriage, which the Tehran municipality spokesperson dismissed as “fake news” and an invasion of the mayor’s privacy.
During the 2021 presidential elections campaign, Zakani addressed rumors of a second marriage with humor, stating, “They joked about me having two wives, one in Tehran and one in Qom. Aren't they ashamed?”
Zakani’s wife, Masoumeh Pakatchi, holds a third-level seminary education and has been involved in managing theological fields in Tehran province for many years, leading the Women’s Unit of the Hazrat Mehdi Movoud Cultural Foundation since 2008.
Alireza Zakani’s ascension to the mayorship was marred by controversy, with many questioning its legality for months afterwards.
During the 8th parliament, Zakani faced scrutiny for his academic pursuits, with Ruhollah Hosseinian highlighting Zakani’s frequent absence from parliamentary sessions to pursue studies and earn money from various publications.
The backlash against Zakani’s mayoral election was unprecedented, with even Mehdi Chamran, the head of the city council, reporting instances of coercion in Zakani’s favor.
Zakani’s political trajectory traces back to his involvement in the student Basij post the Iran-Iraq war.
Rising to prominence as the commander of the student movement in Tehran and later nationwide, his tenure coincided with Mohammed Khatami’s presidency, marked by events such as the University of Tehran attack, where the movement played a role in suppressing protesting students, including members of the Tahakim Vahdat office.
Zakani, alongside Mohammad Dehghan, another student Basij member, entered the 7th parliament elections and served as a representative for several terms.
Despite running as a candidate in the 2013 presidential election, Zakani was disqualified, possibly indicating his marginal role in the political landscape at the time.
In the 9th parliament, Zakani chaired the JCPOA - nuclear deal - commission, initially presenting it as an impartial body but later vehemently opposing the JCPOA agreement.
He notably targeted Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Hossein Fereydoun, Hassan Rouhani’s brother, in various attacks.
Zakani’s involvement in economic corruption cases hinted at coordinated efforts to suppress political opposition, with Zakani serving as the public face of such measures.
During the 11th Parliament, Zakani's entry from Qom, rather than Tehran, due to disagreements over fundamentalist lists, raised eyebrows.
His lack of familiarity with deprived areas and conditions in Qom made headlines.
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