Registration for candidates took place from 7 to 11 May 2013. Registered candidates' qualifications were then reviewed by the
Guardian Council. On 21 May 2013 eight candidates were approved for placement on the ballot.
BBC News commented that all eight approved candidates were "considered hardline conservatives," with reformist candidates, notably former president
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, having been barred from standing. In contrast, Lebanon's
Daily Star newspaper described attempts by former presidents Rafsanjani and
Mohammad Khatami to unite behind one or the other of two "reformist candidates,"
Hassan Rouhani and
Mohammad Reza Aref. Two of the eight, Aref and
Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, withdrew from the race on 10 and 11 June.
Withdrawn During the electoral campaign The following two candidates registered for the election and their nominations were approved by the Guardian Council, but withdrew their candidacies during the electoral campaign. •
Mohammad Reza Aref, First Vice President (2001–2005) (endorsed Hassan Rouhani). •
Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, Speaker of the Parliament (2004–2008) (endorsed Conservative candidates; Progression Alliance).
Before the electoral campaign The following candidates registered for the election campaign but withdrew their candidacies before the electoral campaign. •
Masoud Pezeshkian, Member of the Parliament (since 2008) (endorsed Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani) •
Javad Etaat, Member of the Parliament (2000–2004) (endorsed Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani) •
Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, First Vice President (2009–2013) (endorsed Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei) •
Sadeq Khalilian, Minister of Agricultural (2009–2013) (endorsed Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei) •
Davoud Ahmadinejad, Head of Presidential Commission (2005–2008) (endorsed Ali Akbar Velayati) •
Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, Minister of Health (2005–2009) (endorsed Saeed Jalili) •
Sadeq Vaeez Zadeh, Head of National Elites Foundation (2006–2009) (endorsed Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf) •
Alireza Ali Ahmadi, Minister of Education (2006–2009) (endorsed Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf)
Rejected The following candidates registered for the election but their nominations were rejected by the Guardian Council. All thirty registered female candidates were promptly disqualified on constitutional grounds. •
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, Chief Staff of the President (2009–2012) •
Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister of Foreign Affairs (2005–2010) •
Ruhollah Ahmadzadeh, Head of Cultural Heritage Organization (2011–2012) •
Ali Fallahian, Minister of Intelligence (1989–1997) •
Parviz Kazemi, Minister of Welfare and Social Security (2005–2006) •
Alireza Zakani, Member of the Parliament (since 2004) •
Mohammad Saeedikia, Minister of Housing and Urban Development (2005–2009) •
Mohammed Bagher Kharrazi, Academic •
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, President (1989–1997) •
Mostafa Kavakebian, Member of the Parliament (2004–2012) •
Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, Member of the Parliament (1988–1992) •
Akbar A'lami, Member of the Parliament (2000–2008) •
Elias Hazrati, Member of the Parliament (1988–2004) •
Hassan Sobhani, Member of the Parliament (1996–2008) •
Hooshang Amirahmadi, Academic and political analyst
Declined The following people did not register for the election and declined to enter the race. •
Mohammad-Ali Najafi, Minister of Education (1989–1997) •
Mohammad-Reza Bahonar, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament (since 2011) •
Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Parliament (since 2008) •
Mohammad Khatami, President (1997–2005) •
Gholam-Hossein Elham, Minister of Justice (2006–2009) •
Eshaq Jahangiri, Minister of Mines (1997–2005) •
Mohsen Mehralizadeh, Head of the National Sports Organization (2000–2005) •
Ali Akbar Salehi, Minister of Foreign Affairs (since 2010) •
Ali Nikzad, Minister of Transportation (since 2011) •
Hossein Kamali, Minister of Labor (1988–1997) ==Endorsements==