Parliament speaker. The Tehran mayor. A heart surgeon. The race is on for Iran’s next president

By The Associated Press

Six candidates have been approved by Iran’s theocracy to run in Friday’s presidential election to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash with several other officials in May. Iran’s parliament speaker stands out as the most recognizable figure among the candidates. A little-known reformist politician and heart surgeon is also on the ballot. The others are hard-liners who back Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei without question and also consistently challenge the West. And if previous elections are a guide to Iranian politics, several candidates could drop out in the final days before the vote to coalesce around a unity candidate.