Iranians vote for president

The presidential elections are continuing in Iran. Six candidates are competing for the presidency. They are Saeed Jalili, Mohsen Rezaei, Hasan Ruhani, Mohammad Bager Kalibaf, Mohammad Garazi and Ali Akbar Velayati.

Saeed Jalili, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, is believed to be the main conservative contender. He wants to continue with the current foreign policy, the Euronews TV channel reports.

Ali Akbar Velayati, the former foreign minister and adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is another conservative candidate who backs Iran’s nuclear plans, the TV channel informs.

No reformist candidates are taking part in the elections.

Prior to the elections the Guardian Council barred several hopefuls, including former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the Islamic Republic’s founding fathers seen as sympathetic to reforms.

The voting will be extended by several hours, the Islamic Republic's Interior Ministry announced.