TEHRAN: Two Iranian political heavyweights, ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisi and moderate conservative Ali Larijani, on Saturday launched what may be the main battle in next month’s presidential election. Hopefuls have been registering ahead of June 18 polls to select a successor to moderate President Hassan Rouhani, who is constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive term. First to throw down the gauntlet on Saturday was Larijani, a long-time parliament speaker and now adviser to the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, submitting his name at the interior ministry early on the final day of registration. Then it was the turn of judiciary chief and one-time presidential hopeful Raisi, who was Rouhani’s leading rival in 2017 elections, to announce his own candidacy.