Tehran - The former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani last night ended months of speculation by declaring himself a candidate for the presidential election next month.

The decision establishes him as an immediate frontrunner among election hopefuls including six hardliners and two reformers.

Mr Rafsanjani, 70, is likely to position himself as a centrist conciliator in a field in which the conservative vote is split while support for the reformers has been weakened by the failures of President Muhammad Khatami's reformist administration.

Being elected would represent a remarkable comeback for Mr Rafsanjani. He was widely seen as a discredited figure after his first spell as president, from 1989 to 1997, and failed to win election to the parliament in 2000.

He has rebuilt his standing as head of the expediency council, which resolves disputes between parliament and the council of guardians.

Western diplomats would probably welcome his election, seeing him as someone with whom they could work to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme.