Iran's hardline legislative watchdog has cleared six candidates to run for president but has barred a prominent reformist.
The Guardian Council approved powerful ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (70), former chief of police Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf (43), and former head of state broadcasting Ali Larijani (48).
It also cleared the former commander-in-chief of the hardline Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezaie, and Tehran's mayor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
All of these hail from factions of the conservative camp. The only reformist cleared was former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi, a mid-ranking cleric.
As many as 1,014 hopefuls were barred from standing under the strict criteria of the council, which issued its statement through state media.
The biggest reformist party said it would tell its supporters to boycott the election on June 17th because of the ban on former higher education minister Mostafa Moin, one of two liberals to make an impression in opinion polls.
Mr Moin had stood up for the rights of students, who have borne the brunt of crackdowns by the police and religious paramilitaries.