Principlist presidential candidate Sa’eed Jalili becomes the second candidate after Alireza Zakani to drop out of the June 18 presidential election in favor of fellow contender Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi.

Presidential candidate Sa’eed Jalili says the next administration should consider art as the key to success in other areas.

Jalili says the administration needs to seize its opportunities to establish “constructive and extensive” relations with different world states instead of keeping the country waiting for a removal of the Western sanctions or for membership of the FATF.

Presidential candidate Saeed Jalili has emphasized the participatory role of citizens in governance, saying people should follow up closely — “like a shadow” — on the performance of the government.

Presidential candidate Saeed Jalili says he has drawn up a plan to boost Iran’s foreign exchange earnings, under which all administration bodies, not just the Petroleum Ministry, would be tasked with helping import foreign currencies into the country.

Iranian presidential candidate Sa’eed Jalili says the President Hassan Rouhani administration’s opening-to-the-world policy — symbolized in an early campaign trademark of a key, “locked the country down” for eight years.

Campaigning is underway ahead of Iran’s presidential election, as the candidates are laying out their plans to solve challenges.