Mohammad Khatami, Iran's former moderate president, yesterday announced he would stand in the June presidential election as the country's beleaguered reformists attempt to deprive Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad of a second term.

Speaking after a meeting of his political group, Mr Khatami, a 65-year-old reformist cleric whose two-term presidency from 1997 to 2005 had helped to rehabilitate Iran in the international community, said he felt it was his right and his "responsibility" to participate in the election.