Top Official in Leader's Office Resigns Before Election

Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri, head of the inspection bureau at the office of the Leader of Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, resigned his post ahead of the presidential elections held on Friday. IRNA quoted an informed source on Thursday as saying that  Nateq-Nouri decided to quit a while ago as he felt responsible to defend incumbent President Hassan Rouhani and his administration, on the one hand, and the need to keep the Leader's position clear of common political groupings, on the other. Iran simultaneously held its 12th presidential election and the 5th city and village council polls on Friday.  The four candidates vying in the presidential race were Rouhani, former deputy judiciary chief, Ebrahim Raeisi, member of Iran's Expediency Council, Mostafa Mirsalim, and former vice president, Mostafa Hashemitaba.