Tehran (dpa) - Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is making another run for office, he confirmed on Wednesday as he appeared at the Interior Ministry to officially register for the June 18 election.

Candidates are only allowed on the ballot in Iran if they are approved by election councils. The 64-year-old, who was president from 2005 to 2013, was not allowed on the slate at the last election, in 2017.

Ahmadinejad was popular among hardliners, conservatives and the ruling clerics during his term in office, though questions about his policies cropped up towards the end of his term, especially as his focus on bulking up the country's atomic capabilities prompted international sanctions that pushed the country into an economic crisis.

His political style - which included regular threats against Israel and denial that the Holocaust ever happened - also marginalized Iran on the international stage. Towards the end of his time in office, even some of his conservative allies had abandoned him.

He has popped into the headlines since leaving office with frequent criticism of the sitting government and the judicial system, as well as on Twitter for his enthusiasm for sport, especially American football and basketball.