The most serious challeger to Iran’s president, Mahmoud-Ahmadi-Nejad, is Mir-Hossein Moussavi, a 68-year-old former prime minister running on a reformist ticket and backed by Mohammad Khatami, the former moderate president.

Mr Moussavi has portrayed himself as the more rational, moderate alternative to the combative incumbent, promising to uphold the principles of the Islamic Republic but also adopt more realistic economic policies and give Iranian youth more freedom.