Iran's former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday registered for next month's presidential election, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.
Iran's hardline ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad submitted his name on Wednesday for registration as a candidate for May's presidential election, defying the wishes of the country's religious leadership. Although the constitution does not block a former president from returning to office - a sitting president is limited to two terms - it hasn't happened before.
He vowed to serve the Iranians, and try hard for the establishment of "justice and freedom" if he is reelected as the president.
In an announcement late March, Ahmadinejad, while formally endorsing Baghaei, highlighted that he felt called upon to make sure that "mistakes committed in 2013 won't happen", a reference to disqualification of Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, a close confident of him, in the 2013 presidential elections.
Ahmadinejad previous year ruled out a comeback of his own after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei indicated it could have a "polarising" effect on the nation.
Mr Ahmadinejad remains a controversial figure in Iran.
Iran under Ahmadinejad had its nuclear and defense program accelerated.
The Iranian elections are nearly a month away, scheduled for 19 May 2017.
Amhadinejad's former deputy Hamid Baghaie was their front-runner until Ahmadinejad popped up, and they are now joined by three-times candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the mayor of Tehran.
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Iran's economy suffered under heavy worldwide sanctions during his administration because of suspicions that Tehran was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons.
He added: "Some people say that the [supreme leader's] advice was meant to completely forbid [me from running], but what the leader said was just advice".
Millions of people demanded a re-run, but the supreme leader insisted the result was valid and ordered a major crackdown on dissent that saw dozens of opposition supporters killed and thousands detained. Iran's Guardian Council of clerics and jurists vets all applicants and will announce an approved list of candidates by April 27.
But the former president surprised everyone when he registered along with Baghaei on Wednesday.
Mr Rouhani and his allies have criticisedMr Ahmadinejad's free-spending policies for fuelling inflation and accuse him of wasting Iran's oil revenues.
President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate who engineered Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that secured a removal of worldwide financial and trade sanctions against Tehran, is expected to seek re-election but faces a stiff challenge from conservatives who oppose the deal.
"He will go until the end", Javanfekr said.
"His advice does not prevent me from running", he said. "I won't vote for him".
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