...And the Last Eight Men Standing Are ...

 After the disqualification of Hashemi-Rafsanjani and hundreds of other candidates by the Guardians council, the eight remaining men (no female candidates made the cut) standing in the Iranian Presidential elections (round one June 14, round two if needed June 21) are:

• National Security Council chief and nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili

• Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf

• Former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati

• Former Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Commander (now Secretary of the Expediency Council) Mohsen Reza'ie

• Former Oil Minister and Information Minister Mohammad Qarazi

• Gholam-Ali Haddad Adel, a former Speaker of Parliament whose daughter married Supreme Leader Khamenei's son

• Mohammad Aref, one of former President Khatami's Vice Presidents

• Hassan Rowhani, the nuclear negotiator under Khatami 

The last two, with their links to the Khatami era, are the only "reformers" still in the running.

I think Karim Sadjadpour sums it up best: