Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might run in Iran’s spring 2017 presidential elections. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reportedly announced that he will run in Iran’s spring 2017 presidential elections.

The former speaker for Ahmadinejad’s government, Gholam-Hossein Elham, had informed the Iranian election board of Ahmadinejad’s intention to run for the office, according to a report in the Iranian reformist newspaper Shargh.

Ahmadinejad, who served two terms as president from 2005-2013, on Monday made his first public appearance since leaving office for a speech at the Narmak mosque in Tehran. During his tenure as president, Ahmadinejad was noted for his hardline positions, his denial of the Holocaust, and his tirades against Israel — including calls to wipe Israel off the map.

A source close to the former Iranian leader, however, denied that Ahmadinejad would run again for president.

“What is being said about Ahmadinejad’s intention to put forward his candidacy at the presidential election is inaccurate information. It is too early to talk about anyone’s plans to stand for the presidency,” the source told Russia’s state-run Sputnik news agency.