| One of four hard-line candidates withdrew Wednesday from Iran's upcoming presidential election, heeding a call by religious leaders that too many conservatives in the race might hurt their chances, state television reported. Mohsen Rezaei, the former head of the elite Revolutionary Guards, became the first hard-liner to drop out of the race ahead of Friday's election. "Based on the opinions of senior religious leaders, I'm withdrawing from the race to avoid diversity of votes," the television quoted Rezaei as saying in a statement. Rezaei had little chance of winning, and other hard-line candidates have said they do not intend to withdraw. Those remaining are former radio and television chief Ali Larijani, former national police chief Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and Tehran Mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Hard-line strategists appear to favor Ali Larijani. |