This is a series, I am the world. I'm John Bachelor with Malcolm Hone Line. We're joined by Gabriel Norona,

executive director of the Polaris National Security, a fellow with the

Jewish Institute for National Security of America, and for the Trump

Administration Special Advisor for Iran at the State Department under Secretary Pompeo.

Gabriel, a very good evening to you. The election for the replacement of Mr. Rheese

perishing in a helicopter crash some weeks ago is within hours the voting in Iran.

There are six candidates.

One is said to be a reformer.

One is a cleric.

The others all present themselves as hardliners, various parts of the IRGC or

other bad acting, including one nuclear weapons negotiator once upon a time. Right now, Kaliboff is said to be the inside favorite. Your

comment on the significance of this vote, who is chosen president and what it means for us.

Good evening to you.

Good evening, thanks for having me, John.

Well, the elections in Iran are typically more like selections.

Out of groups of hundreds of potential candidates the regime insiders

block all but a very select handful to run with the blessing of the Supreme

Leader and what's called the Guardian Council.

So the six that we have running now are all insiders, they're all people who have supported

the regime for decades.

And what we're seeing here is really a race for a cabinet minister position.

The president in Iran is in charge of domestic affairs, roads, bridges, infrastructure, education, the budget.

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