TEHRAN Female presidential hopeful Farah Khosravi is said to have been endorsed by the vetting body Guardian Council despite likelihood of her disqualification because of her gender, a press report said Tuesday.

The reformist daily *** Seda-ye Edalat *** quoted unnamed sources as saying that the Guardian Council has cut the number of June 8 presidential hopefuls to 13 from a 30 reported in a latest development.

It said that the incumbent President Mohammad Khatami, Defense Minister Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, former intelligence chief Ali Fallahian, former labor minister Ahmad Tavakkoli and Ebrahim Asgharzadeh have been endorsed by the GC.