Two hardline candidates in Iran’s presidential election withdrew from the race Thursday, one day ahead of the vote, as conservative groups tried to rally behind a single candidate in the special election called after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi.
Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi announced his withdrawal and urged other candidates to follow suit "to strengthen the revolutionary stance," according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Hashemi, who had been Raisi’s vice president and the leader of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, also competed in the 2021 election, securing about one million votes but finishing last.
Also withdrawing Thursday was Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, who similarly pulled out of the 2021 election that saw Raisi's victory.
Zakani said his decision was intended to prevent the formation of another administration aligned with former president Hassan Rouhani, indirectly targeting reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian.
Pezeshkian is supported by former Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, known for his role in the 2015 nuclear negotiations, representing a reformist stance amid the dominance of hardline candidates.
Last-minute withdrawals are common in Iranian presidential elections, particularly within 24 hours of voting, when campaigns are mandated to stop.
Friday's election follows Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash last month and is expected to impact the succession to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.
According to a June 22-23 poll by the Iran Students Polling Center, Zakani and Hashemi were projected to secure 1.7% and 2% of the vote, respectively.
With their exits, four presidential candidates remain, prompting Zakani to call on leading hardliners Saeed Jalili and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf to unite against moderate contender Pezeshkian.
Khamenei ensures candidates sharing his hardline views dominate the election process, crucial for determining Iran's next supreme leader.
The election takes place amid rising tensions with Israel over Gaza, Western pressure on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, and growing domestic discontent over political, social, and economic issues.
Pezeshkian, a former health minister, garners support from Iran's sidelined reformist faction advocating closer ties with the West.
However, uncertainties persist about his electoral prospects amid calls for boycotts
from dissenters inside and outside Iran.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
