Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has advised the Iranian people to elect a pious, revolutionary, and resolute person as their next president.

“In order to realize their objectives and disappoint the enemy, the people should enthusiastically take part in the election to choose - from among the candidates that the Guardian Council introduces based on legal standards - a competent, virtuous, pious, revolutionary, resolute and steadfast person with jihadi perseverance, who can shoulder the heavy responsibility of [boosting] the country’s dignity and progress in a better manner than the other candidates,” the Leader said on Wednesday.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks addressing thousands of people from the Iranian provinces of Mazandaran, Gilan, Golestan and Kohkilouyeh Boyer-Ahmad.

    Commenting on the paramount importance of the June 14 presidential vote, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “Although the election is around one month away, this matter has turned into an important international issue, and global think tanks and the enemies of Iran are even carefully monitoring its preliminary stages.”

The Leader described the upcoming presidential election as another test for the Iranian nation.

In the upcoming election, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out, the enemies are pursuing objectives contrary to those of the Iranian nation’s, adding that the enemy seeks to create voter apathy and would like to see a person coming to power who “drags Iran into dependence, weakness and backwardness in various fields and puts it on the path of the foreigners’ policies.”

A total of 686 individuals signed up to participate in Iran's presidential election due to be held on June 14. The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election; and the Guardian Council vets the hopefuls, approving or not approving them for official candidacy.

The Iranian Constitution stipulates that presidential candidates must be religious or political figures, be Iranian by origin, have Iranian citizenship, possess managerial skills, have no criminal record, be trustworthy and pious, and have firm belief in the fundamental principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the country’s official religion.