The Iranian presidential elections, set for this Friday, will see eight hopeful candidates vie to replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose two-term presidency will come to an end. Some 686 people sought to run in the presidential race, but Iran's Guardian Council only vetted eight: Hasan Rowhani, Mohsen Rezaei, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, Ali Akbar Velayati, Mohammad Reza Aref, Mohammad Gharazi and Saeed Jalili, who is considered the front-runner. The eight hold different opinions on almost every issue, including how to rehabilitate the Iranian economy, but none of them can or wants to challenge Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, especially on the country's nuclear program. Khamenei made it clear very early in the race that the issue of the nuclear program was of the utmost importance to him, politely asking the candidates "not to put the enemy's interests ahead of Iran's national interests." In other words -- don't even dare to think about suspending Tehran's nuclear work. For this reason, Khamenei favors Jalili, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator. Jalili came under harsh criticism during Friday's presidential debate over his various positions, but none of his rivals questioned Iran's right to pursue its nuclear ambitions. They only questioned the way in which it might choose to do so. A question of semantics, if you will. A pleased Jalili informed the forum that Iran's nuclear program "has come a long way," but those following the program's progress from Israel were less amused, as Jalili is correct. Khamenei himself seems to be trying to keep a low profile, but unlike in the 2009 presidential elections, when all he did was urge Iranians to vote regardless of for whom, this time he is urging them to cast their ballots in favor of the nuclear program. It may not be an explicit endorsement, but since Jalili is the Islamic republic's nuclear negotiator, "voting for the nuclear program," as Khamenei put it, is voting for Jalili. The nuclear program has become a national Iranian issue, complete with its own anniversary, National Nuclear Day, which Tehran marks in April. This issue has become part of the Iranian people's very identity and the national pride and commitment they feel for it is one of the regime's greatest achievements. Many in Iran oppose the regime, but they do not oppose its nuclear ambitions. Anyone holding out hope that Ahmadinejad's departure will spell a change for the regime's policies would do well to remember how hopeful we were back in 1997, when Mohammad Khatami was elected the Iranian president. Khatami, who was considered a reformist, a liberal almost, was seen by many as the new Mikhail Gorbachev, the reformist Russian president. But he did not bring about an Iranian version of glasnost, Gorbachev's policy of openness and transparency; instead he greatly sped up Iran's uranium enrichment program.
