With barely a week until the inauguration of conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi as Iran’s next president, speculations are increasing about his cabinet picks. Selecting a foreign minister could be particularly important as indirect negotiations with the US to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have stalled during the final months of outgoing moderate President Hassan Rouhani’s term.

With a new conservative Iranian administration set to take charge, another unknown is whether the foreign minister will continue to be tasked with leading the nuclear negotiations. Regardless, learning about those being considered for the position of chief diplomat offers important insights into Raisi’s policy orientation. The list below is in alphabetical order after given names...