[4] A few days after his registration, a group of hardline Iranian lawmakers, about 100 out of 290 parliamentarians, has urged the country's constitutional watchdog to disqualify Hashemi Rafsanjani and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei.

In response to calls to nominate himself, Khatami issued a statement on his website, saying, "Even if we get a chance to run in the election, we won’t have the right to receive more than a certain number of votes".

The Islamic Revolution Mojahedin Organization front has said in a statement that "the gap between the government and the public has reached its peak, so that distrust toward the administration has never been so high.

[12] In one of his first statements since joining the race he spoke in general terms of seeking a new "economic and political" rebirth in a time of "foreign threats and sanctions.

"[13] Rafsanjani emphasized the necessity of promoting moderation, national unity, and public confidence in the system, expressing hope that the upcoming election would open a new chapter in Iran's contemporary history.