Iran in U-turn on planned presidential election date

Iranian state TV has denied that presidential elections are scheduled for May 2017, hours after the constitutional watchdog announced voting will take place in ten months time.

The Guardian Council denied that the election date had been set in a statement, and the station offered no explanation on why or how it had chosen 19 May for balloting.

Iranian officials at the council or the state TV could not be reached for an explanation on the mix-up and the retraction, agencies reported.

In June, 19 May was proposed by Iran's interior ministry but the decision rests with the council.

At the time, the ministry said holding the vote a month earlier than usual - Iran typically holds presidential elections in June or later - would avoid having the balloting in 2017 fall during the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dusk to down.

Under the law, President Hassan Rouhani is eligible to run for another term in office.

Rouhani - viewed as a moderate who oversaw a deal with world powers to end sanctions in exchange for curbing Iran's nuclear programme - faces mounting pressure from conservatives who want to limit rapprochement with the West.

Hardliners argue the nuclear deal has brought few economic benefits to struggling Iranians.

Rouhani has also been hit by a scandal over exorbitant pay at public sector companies after payslips were leaked to the media.

Although the president is the public face of Iran to the world, real power remains with the supreme leader and institutions such as the Revolutionary Guards that are dominated by conservatives.

If Rouhani loses, it would be the first time since the Islamic revolution in 1979 that a sitting president has not won a second term.

No candidates have yet been formally announced.

The conservative-minded Guardian Council oversees elections and has powers to veto candidates.

Along with the presidential election, Iran is due to hold municipal elections at the same time, to choose nearly 120,000 council members for city councils across the country.