The March 14 elections will see reformists seek to erode conservative dominance of parliament, and the presence of high-profile candidates is an indication of the importance of the polls.

According to an interior ministry statement, 7,168 candidates -- including 585 women -- had registered to stand before the deadline passed on Friday.

In order to be eligible, the candidates still have to be approved by the hardline vetting body the Guardians Council, which has the right to disqualify any entrant deemed insufficiently supportive of Iran's Islamic system.

Conservatives and moderates have formed broad coalitions to contest the elections, in a bid to avoid the splits that have harmed the chances of both sides in previous ballots.

Other conservatives joining Larijani in standing for election include parliament speaker Gholam Ali Hadad Adel, former intelligence minister Ali Falahian and deputy speaker Mohammad Reza Bahonar.

Reformists are hoping the Guardians Council does not repeat its decision of 2004 to disqualify more than 2,000 mainly reformist candidates, a move which moderates blamed for their losses in the polls.

Conditions for candidacy include loyalty to the principle of "absolute guardianship of jurisprudence" (velayat-e faghih motlagheh), a key idea of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini which enshrines the clerical leadership of Iran.

Reformists close to former president Mohammad Khatami have formed a coalition with pragmatic conservative allies of another ex-president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Khatami, said to be the coalition's guiding force, is not standing but those registered include former vice president Mohammad Reza Aref, former transport minister Ali Khoram and former industry minister Eshagh Jahanguiri.

Larijani, a conservative who has on occasion exhibited pragmatic tendencies, resigned as Iran's top nuclear negotiator in October after falling out with hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

He remains an influential figure, and still sits on Iran's national security council as the representative of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Hadad Adel, an academic by profession, is another powerful conservative whose daughter is married to one of Khamenei's sons.

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