A former Iranian Revolutionary Guard general who ordered live rounds to be used against student protesters has entered the presidential race as authorities try to squeeze moderates out of the election.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, an ex-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) air forces, will be among the candidates to succeed president Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash last month.

Ghalibaf became the speaker of the parliament following a series of unsuccessful presidential bids and a 12-year tenure as the mayor of Tehran.

He is also widely known for his controversial past as an IRGC general. He supported a violent crackdown on Iranian university students in 1999 and ordered live gunfire to be used against students during his tenure as the country’s police chief in 2003.

The IRGC is a branch of the Iranian armed forces established by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and has grown increasingly influential as hardliners have become more powerful in Iran. 

The IRGC has spread Iranian influence abroad and has been accused of carrying out assassinations and attacks on foreign soil, including in Britain.

‘Appoint from the armed forces’

A snap election is set for June 28, and efforts are under way to give the presidential seat to a commander from the IRGC for the first time, according to current members of the IRGC and confirmed by former Iranian officials familiar with the matter who spoke to The Telegraph.

“There are ongoing high-level efforts within the establishment to appoint someone from the armed forces,” a member of the IRGC said.

Senior figures at the IRGC have been evaluating their choices from among both former and current commanders over the past two weeks.

“It’s very likely that the regime will pave the way for Ghalibaf,” a former official at Iran’s interior ministry told The Telegraph from Tehran, who requested anonymity as it is taboo and risky to publicly discuss leadership changes. 

“Outside the leader’s office has been very busy in recent days.”

“Dehghan is playing a big role in making sure the next president comes from the IRGC,” he said, referring to Hossein Dehghan, another influential commander of the IRGC, former defence minister and Khamenei’s military adviser.

“People close to him are on the move outside the leader’s office and are contacting everyone they know to influence the leader and the Guardian Council,” the official added.