Iran reformers may stand

Iran's hardline Guardian Council watchdog has reversed its ban on two reformists excluded from presidential elections on June 17.

The reinstatement of former Education Minister Mostafa Moin and Vice-President for Sports Mohsen Mehr-Alizadeh would raise the number of candidates cleared to run to eight and make the election outcome harder to predict.

The about-turn followed the intervention of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who urged the Guardian Council to reconsider its disqualification.