1,630 candidates register for Iran's presidential race

More than 1,630 candidates have registered to run in Iran's presidential election next month as the registration for the upcoming race closed on Saturday.

Tehran's Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and first Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri also registered Saturday for the election.

Addressing reporters after his registration, the principlist Qalibaf challenged as "unrealistic" the incumbent President Hassan Rouhani's remarks about his administration's acceptable economic performance over the past four years, according to Press TV.

Jahangiri also said that unity is needed to overcome challenges, citing unemployment as among the country's main problems.

The most high-profile candidates that have registered so far are President Hassan Rouhani, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and principlist cleric Ebrahim Raisi.

The Iranian Guardian Council of Constitution, a clerical body that oversees elections, will start to assess the qualification of the applicants from Sunday and will announce an approved list by April 27.

The candidate should basically be an Iranian national, prudent and capable of taking on leadership duties, and being religious and believing in the Islamic republic's principles and its official religion.

According to Iran's Interior Ministry, the approved candidates will launch their presidential campaign on April 28.

The Election Day is slated for May 19.