Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday unexpectedly filed to run in the country's May election, potentially upending a race that many had predicted to be won by moderate President Hassan Rouhani. Although Rouhani, who negotiated the nuclear deal that got world leaders to lift painful sanctions, has not formally registered, he was widely considered the favorite as conservatives failed to unite behind a single candidate. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recommended in September that Ahmadinejad stay out of the race. Ahmadinejad's fiery style could attract support from hardliners looking for someone to clash with President Trump, a critic of the Iran nuclear deal.
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