Iran excludes Khomeini's grandson in elite assembly election
DUBAI - Four-fifths of candidates for the body that will choose Iran's next Supreme Leader have withdrawn or been disqualified including a grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini close to reformist politicians, in a setback to President Hassan Rouhani.
The 12-member Guardian Council, a clerical body that oversees elections and legislation, approved just 166 of the 801 candidates for the Assembly of Experts, electoral commission spokesman Siamak Rahpeik was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA on Tuesday.
The disqualifications, a week after thousands of parliamentary candidates were similarly excluded, are a blow to Rouhani, who is signing business deals in Europe this week after pushing through a nuclear deal with world powers.
