Mr. Raisi, a former Attorney General, serves as the head of the Imam Reza charity foundation, which manages a vast conglomerate of businesses and endowments in Iran. Mr. Qalibaf’s dropping out may serve to get him more votes in his challenge to Mr. Rouhani. Some also have speculated that Mr. Qalibaf could serve as a Vice-President in Mr. Raisi’s administration, in exchange for his support. Mr. Rouhani remains the favourite as every Iranian president since 1981, when Mr. Khamenei himself took the presidency, has won re-election. Mr. Raisi already has the support of two major clerical bodies that declined to endorse anyone in the last presidential election, snubbing Mr. Rouhani, who himself is a cleric.

Source: The Hindu May 15, 2017 15:56 UTC