Qalibaf Drops Out of Iran Presidential Race

Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf quit the Iranian presidential race on Monday, backing instead Ebrahim Raisi in Friday's vote.

"I should take an important decision to keep the unity of revolutionary forces... I ask all my supporters around the country to use all their capacity to help my brother Ebrahim Raisi win the election," Qalibaf said in a statement, Reuters reported.

Raeisi and Qalibaf are affiliated with the Popular Front of Islamic Revolution Forces, a principlist body formed last December to plan a unified electoral strategy.

PFIRF had announced that either Raeisi or Qalibaf may stand aside in favor of the other on the election eve, unless it believes that it would be a two-round election.

Both candidates had campaigned on a platform of boosting job creation and cash subsidy payments for the needy, faulting Rouhani's administration for failing to promote the economy during his four years in office.

The campaign season started on April 21 and will last until 24 hours before the May 19 presidential election.

The hopefuls held their last televised debate last Friday, the most heated of the three that frequently saw Rouhani and Qalibaf trading barbs.