Mayor of Tehran steps down as candidate in Iranian presidential elections

Iran is preparing for snap presidential elections on June 28 following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a plane crash on May 19. Five candidates have made it to the final round, but Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani withdrew his candidacy in favor of two other conservative candidates, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Saeed Jalili, the spiritual leader’s representative in the Security Council. Zakani urged Ghalibaf and Jalili to unite to prevent the victory of reformist Masoud Pezeshkian.

In addition to Zakani, Iranian Vice President Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi also declined to participate in the elections. This leaves four candidates on the ballot: Ghalibaf, Jalili, Pezeshkian, and former prosecutor Mustafa Pourmohammadi. Pezeshkian is currently leading in the polls, with conservatives Jalili and Ghalibaf closely following in second and third place, respectively.

As the election date approaches, speculation grows about the outcome and potential impact on Iran’s political landscape. Voters will ultimately decide who will lead the country in the post-Raisi era.