TEHRAN – With less than ten days remaining before the June 28th presidential election, candidates have hit the road in a last-minute push for votes. 

Presidential hopefuls departed Tehran on Tuesday and Wednesday, embarking on trips to multiple Iranian provinces as part of their campaigns.

Zakani visits President Raisi’s last destination

Conservative candidate and current Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani kicked off his campaign tour in Tabriz, a city in northwestern Iran. Late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was on a helicopter ride to this city when the aircraft carrying him crashed and took his life. 

On Tuesday, Zakani visited the father of Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, the Friday prayer imam of Tabriz who perished during the same chopper crash as President Raisi. 

“The people of Tabriz and Azerbaijan have always played an important role in shaping Iran’s history, and this has been particularly evident during the past few decades. The people of Tabriz have been the flagbearers in Iran’s fight towards independence, freedom, progress, and development. My message to them is to actively participate in the elections and vote for a candidate who has precise plans for the country’s future,” he said during the meeting.

Qalibaf reunites with late comrade in Kerman

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf who spent several years as a senior commander in the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, visited the tomb of Iran’s anti-terror icon and commander of the IRGC Quds force Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in his southeastern hometown of Kerman. 

In a gathering with his Kermani supporters, Qalibaf hailed the people of the city and the province for their unyielding support towards the Islamic Revolution and undying resistance against hardships. 

Qalibaf pledged that if chosen as the next Iranian president, he would prioritize helping the less fortunate in the country’s population.  Kerman is believed to be among the Iranian provinces with the highest rates of poverty. 

“Each one of our people is those who, through careful consideration, make the right choice; if success is found, I pledge and covenant with the people of Iran that I will prioritize all social strata, especially those below the poverty line, retirees, villagers, workers, and those with fixed incomes,” Qalibaf expressed. 

Zarif tags along with Pezeshkian to Esfahan

The reformists’ only hope for the presidency, Masoud Pezeshkian, chose the central city of Esfahan as his destination on Wednesday.

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also accompanied the candidate throughout the trip, after first appearing beside him on a televised roundtable. 

Zarif also posted a notice on his X account recently, announcing that he and a number of other prominent reformists are backing Pezeshkian in the 2024 presidential elections.