TEHRAN — The eight candidates standing for president this month may differ on several issues, but when it comes to Iran’s nuclear drive they are united in pursuing what they see as its peaceful atomic ambitions.Whoever is elected president on June 14 to succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Islamic republic is unlikely to alter the course of its controversial programme of uranium enrichment. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei takes
“Definitely the result of the presidential election will not have any influence on the nuclear issue,” the country’s atomic chief Fereydoun Abbasi Davani has said.
The presidential hopefuls — including the frontrunner, Iran’s nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili — have all insisted that the nuclear project will proceed.
“Regardless of who is elected president in June, uranium enrichment activities will be pursued without fear against the enemy,” Jalili said.
“The president must demonstrate this in a practical manner to the supreme leader,” Jalili, who has been negotiating with world powers on the issue since October 2007, said on his campaign website.