TEHERAN: Mirhossein Mousavi, seen as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's main challenger in a June 12 election, advocates better ties with Iran's Western foes while rejecting their main demand - a halt to sensitive nuclear work.

Hoping to win votes from reformers and conservatives, the former prime minister derides Ahmadinejad's "charity economy" policies, while urging a return to the "fundamental values" of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

The bespectacled, bearded 67-year-old enjoys the support of reformist former president Mohammad Khatami and apparent backing from Khatami's pragmatic predecessor, Ali Akbar Rafsanjani.