Iranian hardline presidential candidates Amir-Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi and Alireza Zakani announced their withdrawal from the election, with the Islamic regime still divided over its favoured nominee.

Presidential elections in Iran are due to be held on 28 June, a year earlier than scheduled due to the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May.

Six candidates have been running campaigns over the past weeks, including Qazizadeh, Zakani, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Saeed Jalili, who call themselves members of the "revolution front", an informal group that adheres strictly to the ideals of Iran's Islamic Revolution of 1979. 

The first dropout, Qazizadeh, was considered a paper candidate from early on. He dedicated most of his time to defending Raisi's performance and attacking his predecessor, Hassan Rouhani, who he claimed was now represented in the elections by Pezeshkian.

He announced his departure on his X account on June 26, saying his purpose was to preserve the integrity of the "revolution forces". The parliamentary mandarin said he decided at the written request of a "high council for the consensus of revolution forces" and a group of others—not mentioning who those “others” were.

Meanwhile, Zakani, who had adopted a similar approach, also took to X a day later on 27 June to declare his withdrawal. He was quickly mocked on social media by those who opposed his comments and poor performance as mayor of Tehran.

"I ask the other two candidates of the revolutionary front, my dear brothers Mr Jalili and Mr Qalibaf, to strive for unity and cohesion and not leave the rightful demand of the revolutionary forces unanswered, and prevent the formation of 'Rouhani's third government," Zakani wrote.

He said he quit because "continuation of the path of Martyr Raisi is more important".

Zakani asked Jalili and Qalibaf to unite and prevent the formation of "Rouhani's third administration", referring to Pezeshkian, who has been accused of intending to employ Rouhani's team in his cabinet.

Qalibaf and Jalili, however, are both resisting calls for withdrawal, with social media videos showing clashes between their supporters in the remaining hours before the elections.

Despite being classed as hardliners, there is a clear distinction between the two men, with Qalibaf known for his corporate-style management of parliament and Tehran, where he was praised for creating modern transport systems, including the city’s bus-rapid-transit (BRT) during his term as mayor more than a decade ago.

The two have been arm-wrestling for the position since the beginning, with neither side having shown any intention to step aside thus far—and no love lost between them.

Poll of polls

In the latest opinion poll conducted by the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) on 26 June, they both fall below their common rival, Pezeshkian, who has gained 33.1% of the participants' votes.

According to the poll, 28.8% of the participants said they would vote for Jalili and 19.1% for Qalibaf.

The poll, with a response rate of 47%, has also concluded voter turnout would be around 51% with a 2% margin of error.

The only cleric standing this time, Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, belongs to a so-called “fundamentalist” faction but has expressed juxtaposing positions in a possible attempt to rebrand himself, trailing behind all other candidates. Time will tell whether he will stand down before the election.

Azerbaijani-Kurdish Masoud Pezeshkian is the only nominee from the reformist camp and has been gaining growing popularity with vows to secure a lifting of sanctions and mend Iran's international relations.

Pezeshkian’s growing popularity has helped nudge the country’s educated classes out of a doldrum of despair, with potentially more people coming out to vote for him after reformists were blocked from taking part in the previous presidential election, eventually leading to the unopposed rise of Raisi.

However, as tensions mount in the final hours before Iran's presidential election, citizens across Tehran voiced diverse opinions on the candidates' manoeuvring and the importance of the vote. Here's what some had to say to IntelliNews:

"If the conservative candidates don't unite, their votes will be split," said Ali, 42, a shopkeeper in Tehran. Maryam, a 35-year-old teacher, expressed hope for a high turnout: "Widespread participation strengthens our system."

"Our candidates should learn from the sacrifice of war veterans and reach consensus," urged Reza, 68, a retired civil servant, referencing Iran's 1980-88 war with Iraq.

Fatima, 29, an office worker, voiced scepticism about one reformist candidate: "Pezeshkian claims he's not connected to Rouhani's government, but he met with Rouhani just before the election."

"These so-called cover candidates who withdraw at the last minute should be banned," said Hamid, 50, a taxi driver. "They're wasting people's time."