Two candidates drop out of Iran presidential election, due to take place Friday amid voter apathy

Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two candidates in Iran’s presidential election have withdrawn from the race. It’s an effort by hard-liners to coalesce around a unity candidate in the vote to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi. Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi dropped his candidacy and urged other candidates to do the same “so that the front of the revolution will be strengthened.” Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani also withdrew. Such withdrawals are common in the final hours of an Iranian presidential election, particularly in the last 24 hours before the vote is held when campaigns enter a mandatory quiet period without rallies. There are four other candidates still in the race. Analysts and experts broadly see the race at the moment as a three-way contest between two hard-liners and a reformist candidate.