TEHRAN, Iran

Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani on Thursday withdrew from Iran’s presidential election, due on Friday.

In a post on X, Zakani announced his support for conservative candidates Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Saeed Jalili in the June 28 polls.

"We must consolidate our efforts to address the rightful aspirations of revolutionary factions, thereby preventing the formation of another [Hassan] Rouhani administration," he said, referring to the former reformist president.

Zakani was the second conservative candidate to pull out from the presidential race after Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, who withdrew on Wednesday.

Four candidates remain in the race, including former Interior Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi and reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian.

The election was scheduled ahead of the stipulated time after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar