Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad officially declared his candidacy for a second term on Friday.
Mr. Ahmadinejad joined fellow conservative contender Mohsen Rezaei Friday in registering their candidacies for the June 12 presidential election.
Moderate former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi is seen as the president's main challenger. Reformist Mehdi Karroubi is also expected to stand in the election.
Although Iran's nuclear program and Mr. Ahmadinejad's comments about Israel and the Holocaust have generated attention abroad, analysts predict the worsening Iranian economy and high inflation will dominate the campaign. Reformists accuse President Ahmadinejad of mismanaging the country's crude oil resources.
The president has won praise at home for taking steps to raise Iran's profile in rocket and satellite technology.