The first debate among the six candidates of the 12th Iranian presidential election has been aired live on state television.

The candidates outlined their plans for the post. They were given an equal time to garner as many votes as possible in order to win the ticket to the office.

The live broadcast, which lasted for three hours, aimed to reduce the candidates’ campaign spending and pave the way for eligible voters to make their choice based on the sharp-cut and unambiguous plans represented during the program.

The six candidates running for the presidential election are Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim, Mostafa Hashemi-Taba, Es’haq Jahangiri, Hassan Rouhani, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi.

Iranians will go to the polls on May 19 to elect the country’s next president.

The six Iran presidential hopefuls

Upon entering the headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in the capital, Tehran, Rouhani was asked if he was ready, to which he responded, "We're probably all ready that we have come [here]."

Meanwhile, Mehr news agency reported that the debate had been put off half an hour to 16:30 local time (1200 GMT) upon the request of Rouhani's camp.

Morteza Heidari, the renowned Iranian television news host and presenter who moderated the debate, also said he was prepared for the task and everything had been rehearsed

Iranian presidential candidates Hassan Rouhani (3rd L) and Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi lead the group of hopefuls to the IRIB studio in Tehran where a debate is due to be held on April 28, 2016.

There will be three live televised debates in total. Today's debate focused on social issues while the next two will revolve around economic and political matters.

The candidates have drawn lots to determine their seating arrangement for the debate. Every effort seems to have been made not to leave any room for accusations of partiality.

According to schedule, Fars News Agency reports, the candidates can hold a meeting of 15 minutes with the aides and advisors after 90 minutes of debate.

The debate began with Heidari outlining its format and regulations and how the time would be broken up between the candidates.

Settlement on outskirts of cities

Aqa-Mirsalim was the first candidate to answer the first question about settlements on the outskirts and peripheries of cities. This too was determined through a draw. Aqa-Mirsalim expressed his serious concern about lack of management of natural resources. He said correct water management would be the first step to reduce immigration from rural areas to cities. He added that lack of attention to proper spatial planning was the main reason behind immigration.

The other five candidates then took two-minute turns to make their own remarks on the issue and challenge Aqa-Mirsalim. Hashemi-Taba said Iran is plagued with severe environmental crisis. The third hopeful, incumbent Rouhani, said that immigration to big cities is a major problem not only in Iran but in most countries. He added that unemployment and low income are major reasons behind immigration to big cities. Qalibaf, for his part, said social and economic imbalance is a major reason behind immigration. Jahangiri said attention to immigrants to big cities must be the first priority in tackling their problems. Raeisi said the first priority is to have correct figures on immigration to big cities. While Qalibaf put the number of outskirts dwellers at 11 million, Raeisi said the figure belongs to four years ago and currently stands at around 16 million.

Aqa-Mirsalim then retook to the podium and said immigration should be curbed before it gives rise to social crises and added that 350,000 illegal wells have wasted the country’s water resources and caused immigration. The candidate said social facilities must be distributed evenly in cities and villages and expressed regret that some 10.2 million Iranians are totally illiterate. He noted that suitable housing must be provided in small towns and villages to prevent immigration.

Social justice

Raeisi was next up on the podium. He responded to a query on social justice and how to establish and promote it in Iran. In the four minutes allocated to him, Raeisi said the GINI Index, a measurement of the income distribution of a country's residents, shows class divide has increased in Iran, adding that tripling subsidies handed out to lower classes would be a good way to narrow the social gaps. He noted that tax evasion must be prevented to promote social justice.

Rouhani stressed the importance of striking a balance between eastern and western parts of the country. Qalibaf said promoting social justice would be difficult as long as urban crises are not resolved. Jahangiri said social justice is not limited to economic issues but also includes education, political and judicial matters.

Raeisi one again took to the podium to give his responses and explanations about questions raised by the other hopefuls. He said joblessness and shutdown of production units are major problems facing the country’s economy. He added that the next administration must make plans to narrow social gaps in a bid to promote justice.

Housing

Hashemi-Taba was the third candidate who took to the podium to responsd to a debate question about his plans to solve the country's housing problem. He said bank loans and mass construction would be good ways to tackle the housing problem, adding that job creation would help resolve this issue.

Jahangiri said unoccupied housing units are the main obstacle to solving the housing problem and added that increasing bank loans and establishing housing investment funds would be good solutions to this issue.

Hashemi-Taba then retook to the podium and used his five-minute time to answer the raised questions.

Youth marriage

Rouhani was the next hopeful taking to the podium to respond to a debate question about his plans to encourage the youth marriage. He said unemployment was the main problem facing the promotion of youth marriage and added that boosting hope and avoiding unnecessary limitations in the society are key to solve problems. He said hope for future has increased in the Iranian society and employment has improved. Hope for future and employment are the best ways to promote youth marriage in Iran, Rouhani added.

Raeisi said banking facilities, housing and employment are the main necessities to promote marriage among young Iranians. The other candidates also offered their viewpoints with Qalibaf challenging Rouhani on an alleged pledge that Rouhani had made during the previous presidential campaign to create four million jobs. Rouhani denied ever making that promise.

Rouhani then said oil revenues and taxation are major sources of the administration’s income and noted that his administration has reduced dependence on oil revenues to below 30 percent.

Cutting down on red tape

Jahangiri was the fifth presidential candidate to use his four-minute time to outline his plans on reducing bureaucracy in executive bodies. He said the current administration has managed to change the security-based approach to social issues and added that most of the Iranian people are not satisfied with municipalities and banks. The current first vice president said the establishment of an e-government was the major step to reduce bureaucracy.

Raeisi said an electronic government would increase transparency and facilitate the administrative processes. Rouhani said some media outlets undermine the social capital in the country. In this segment, Qalibaf questioned the reason behind Jahangiri's candidacy, implying that Jahangiri has only registered to support Rouhani.

Jahangiri said forceful measures would fail to solve social problems and added that he took part in the presidential election as a representative of the Reformist camp. The current first vice president emphasized that the 11th administration has managed to increase petrochemical production by nine million tonnes.

Environmental challenges

Qalibaf was the last hopeful taking to the podium to answer a question about his plans to tackle the environmental challenges if elected president. He said the dust storm problem is currently plaguing 20 Iranian provinces and added that inappropriate measures taken inside the country has led to this crisis.

Jahangiri said the current administration has succeeded in taking essential measures to solve the environmental problems. He added that 70 percent of the dust storm problem stems from reasons beyond Iran’s borders.

Qalibaf defended the performance of Tehran Municipality in the environment-protection sector, saying it has used garbage to generate power and produce compost. The mayor of Tehran added that over 20,000 hectares have been planted with trees around the capital.

With all the six candidates having taken to the podium, the moderator announced the end of the first section of the debate and called a break before the beginning of the second round.

Round 2

In the second section, each candidate was given two minutes to answer a question raised by the moderator. Draws determined the candidate and the question that he answers.

Rouhani explained his plans to promote employment for women, saying his administration has managed to create 700,000 jobs for women. He added that women account for over 50 percent of university students in Iran.

As per the draw, Aqa-Mirsalim next responded to a question about his plans to solve the heavy traffic problem in big cities and said giving priority to public transport would be the best solution to the issue.

Jahangiri was asked about his plans to boost the social status of the elites. He highlighted the fact that Iranian elites have greatly increased the country’s scientific ranking in the world.

Raeisi responded to a question about his plans to promote the culture of sportsmanship and said winning medals in sports is very important for the country.

Qalibaf and Hashemi-Taba also in turn provided answered to the questions posed to them. In this section Qalibaf displayed a screenshot of the Iranian president's website which he claimed confirms his remarks about Rouhani's pledge during the previous campaign to create four million jobs.

The next and final section of the debate involved each candidate providing their concluding remarks. This section involved a verbal back and forth between Qalibaf and Rouhani over some of the claims against the latter by the former throughout the debate. </s> Rivals of President Hassan Rouhani in the May 19 poll have renewed accusations of corruption and mismanagement against him during the last of three televised debates.

In Friday's debate, Tehran's mayor and presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said that Rouhani and candidate Eshaq Jahangiri received "highly subsidized" properties from the government.

Qalibaf added that Rouhani's administration had facilitated large loans to "particular individuals" through state-run banks while average citizens still struggle to secure small loans.

Hard-line candidate Ebrahim Raisi also accused Rouhani of blocking a corruption probe against his relatives.

Iran's upcoming election is largely a referendum on Rouhani, following Iran's landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Average Iranians have yet to sense the economic benefits of the deal, making Rouhani vulnerable in his bid for another four-year term. </s> Alwaght- Six candidates racing for the Iranian presidency have faced off in the third and final round of nationally televised debates on Friday evening, days before the election.

During the debate on Friday aired live across the nation by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and globally by Press TV, the contestants elaborated on their economic plans and agendas as they campaign for the May 19 vote.

In one of most-watched programs in IRIB’s history, the debate today revolved around economic issues while the last two debates focused on socio-cultural and political subjects.

All the candidates were allocated equal airtime to expound on their plans to deal with the country’s major economic problems after taking the office.

Three of the candidates categorized as “reformists” include President Hassan Rouhani, First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, and Mostafa Hashemitaba.

The other three, known for belonging to the “principlist” political faction, include Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, the chief custodian of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim.

Overall, each of the candidates have been allocated over 1,100 minutes to talk about their campaign pledges in various radio and television programs aired by IRIB.

During the previous polls in June 2013, Rouhani garnered 50.7 percent of a total of over 36 million votes. Authorities say the number of eligible voters stands at more than 56,400,000. According to an opinion poll by IRIB Research Centre, some 70.6 percent of the Iranians eligible to vote in Iran’s upcoming presidential election are expected to turn out at polling stations on election day.

Some 63.5 percent of respondents to the poll) said they “will participate” in the presidential election — due on May 19 — and another 7.1 percent said they “will probably participate” in the polls.

Iranians residing abroad can also vote in more than 140 countries at places designated by Iranian diplomatic missions. </s> Supporters of the two leading candidates in Iran’s presidential election took to the streets as official campaigning came to an end.

But despite festive scenes ahead of Friday’s vote, there has been tension between the moderate and reformist forces and hardline fundamentalists with fiery exchanges.

It has turned into a tight race between incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, described as a pragmatist, and the hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi.

One young woman in Tehran told Euronews: “We’ve gone forward with hope and we think moderation is the best thing.

“We want it to happen. We want our candidate to win. We want to have hope.”

One young man said: “I’m holding both photos (Rouhani and Raisi) to say we’re all Iranians, that unity matters and no matter who we choose the important thing is to vote and choose by logic.”

As the campaigning came to an end there was an intervention by the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday.

He slammed the heated tone of the election campaign, describing it as “unworthy”.

Some observers read that as a thinly veiled attack on President Rouhani and his attacks on Raisi. </s> Tehran, May 19, 2017: Ebrahim Raisi, the leading rival to President Hassan Rouhani in Friday's presidential election, is a hardline judge with close ties to the supreme leader who spent years in powerful backroom positions. Born into a religious family in the Shiite Muslim holy city of Mashhad on August 23, 1960, Raisi wears the black turban of a "seyed" whose genealogy is said to lead back to Prophet Mohammed.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Egypt Today. </s> ANKARA, May 12 (Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani defended his efforts to improve Iran's economy and hit out at his hardline opponents in a final televised debate on Friday against challengers who aim to topple him in an increasingly acrimonious election next week.

Rouhani, swept into office in a landslide four years ago on promises to reduce Iran's international isolation, is seeking a second term after negotiating an agreement with world powers to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for lifting sanctions.

"If we want a better economy, we should not let groups with security and political backing to get involved in the economy," Rouhani said during the debate, in an unmistakable swipe at the Revolutionary Guards Corps, an elite military force with a vast business empire, which has backed his main hardline opponent Ebrahim Raisi.

Normally measured in his public speeches, Rouhani has become increasingly forceful in recent days, giving voice to the grievances of reformers who say they have been oppressed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution by security forces like the Guards.

"I am surprised. Those of you who talk about freedom of speech these days... (you are) those who cut out tongues and sewed mouths shut," Rouhani told a rally on Monday in a thinly-veiled attack on Raisi, a former jurist involved in mass executions of political prisoners in the 1980s.

"Our people want political and social freedom ... In the election they will not vote for those who knew only executions and prison for 38 years," Rouhani said in a rally on Tuesday.

He faces five challengers, led by two hardliners, cleric Raisi and Tehran Mayor Mohammed Beqar Qalibaf, who both say Rouhani has sold Iran's interests too cheaply to the West and allowed the economy to decay through mismanagement. The first round is on May 19, with a run-off a week later if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote.

Although Iran's political system puts ultimate power in the hands of an unelected supreme leader, and all candidates are vetted by a hardline watchdog body, elections are nevertheless hard-fought contests that can bring dramatic change.

As in two earlier, bruising debates, the main challengers tore into Rouhani's economic record, arguing that he failed to bring Iranians a better life despite the lifting of sanctions.

Raisi described a litany of poor economic performance under Rouhani, saying 250,000 small businesses had shut and cash payments to the poor should be raised: "Unemployment is high. People's purchasing power has dropped dramatically," he said.

Rouhani's biggest worry is that some of the voters who carried him to a single-round victory in 2013 will stay home, disillusioned that the lifting of sanctions has brought few economic benefits and the pace of social change has been slow.

"Rouhani is trying to reach out to voters who guaranteed his election four years ago by hoping to have a freer Iran," said a former official close to Rouhani's government.

Rouhani's deal to lift sanctions won the cautious backing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but Khamenei and his hardline loyalists criticise its failure to boost the economy.

Benefits have been slow to arrive, in part because of unilateral U.S. sanctions still in place over Iran's missile programme, human rights record and allegations it supports terrorism.

Rouhani's allies say the hardliners oppose deeper change and exposure to international competition in part because of the economic interests of the Guards, which gained control of swathes of Iran's industry during its years of isolation.

Although Rouhani won more than three times as many votes as his closest challenger four years ago, he only narrowly avoided a second round with just over half the total votes. If he sheds just a bit of that support now, he could face a dangerous second round against a single opponent who unites the hardline faction. "I wanted to boycott this election because I am so disappointed with Rouhani's failure to bring more freedom to Iran," said teacher Reza Mirsadegh in the central city of Yazd.

"But I have changed my mind. I will vote for Rouhani to prevent Raisi's win."

Iran's ultimate authority Khamenei has warned the public against protests like those that broke out after the disputed election of 2009, when reformers disputed the victory of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"Those who deviate from this path will be slapped in the face," Khamenei said in a televised speech on Wednesday.

The Guards, their affiliated volunteer Basij militia and many Friday prayer leaders have thrown their support behind Raisi, a veteran jurist whose name has also been mentioned as a future supreme leader.

Qalibaf, a chisel-jawed former Guards commander, lacks Raisi's backing from the clerical establishment but also has millions of supporters for a hardline message on security and a populist economic platform. He has made a run-off more likely by resisting calls from other hardliners to step aside.

Rouhani, meanwhile, has crossed traditional red lines in his rallies by openly criticising the security forces and judiciary, trying to fire the enthusiasm of reformist voters.

"Those who over the past years only imposed bans ... please don´t even breathe the word freedom for it shames freedom," Rouhani said in a rally in the city of Hamedan. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; editing by Peter Graff) </s> ANKARA, May 12 (Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani will defend his efforts to open up Iran to the world on Friday in a final televised debate against the hardline challengers who aim to topple him in an increasingly acrimonious election next week.

Rouhani, swept into office in a landslide four years ago on promises to reduce Iran's international isolation, is seeking a second term after negotiating an agreement with world powers to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for lifting sanctions.

Normally measured in his public speeches, he has taken the gloves off in recent days, accusing his opponents of human rights abuses and openly voicing the grievances of reformers who say they have been oppressed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"I am surprised. Those of you who talk about freedom of speech these days... (you are) those who cut out tongues and sewed mouths shut," Rouhani told a rally on Monday in a thinly-veiled attack on Raisi, a former jurist involved in mass executions of political prisoners in the 1980s.

"Our people want political and social freedom ... In the election they will not vote for those who knew only executions and prison for 38 years," Rouhani said in a rally on Tuesday.

He faces five challengers, led by two prominent hardline frontrunners who say he has sold Iran's interests too cheaply to the West and allowed the economy to decay through mismanagement. The first round is on May 19, with a run-off a week later if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote.

Although Iran's political system puts ultimate power in the hands of an unelected supreme leader, and all candidates are vetted by the conservative clergy, elections are nevertheless hard-fought contests that can bring dramatic change.

In two earlier, bruising debates, the main challengers, cleric Ebrahim Raisi and Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, tore into Rouhani's economic record, arguing that he failed to bring Iranians a better life despite the lifting of sanctions.

Rouhani's biggest worry is that some of the voters who carried him to a single-round victory in 2013 will stay home, disillusioned that the lifting of sanctions has brought few economic benefits and the pace of social change has been slow.

"Rouhani is trying to reach out to voters who guaranteed his election four years ago by hoping to have a freer Iran," said a former official close to Rouhani's government.

Rouhani's deal to lift sanctions won the cautious backing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but Khamenei and his hardline loyalists criticise its failure to boost the economy. Benefits have been slow to arrive, in part because of unilateral U.S. sanctions still in place over Iran's missile programme, human rights record and allegations it supports terrorism.

Although Rouhani won more than three times as many votes as his closest challenger four years ago, he only narrowly avoided a second round with just over half the total votes. If he sheds just a bit of that support now, he could face a dangerous second round against a single opponent who unites the hardline faction. "I wanted to boycott this election because I am so disappointed with Rouhani's failure to bring more freedom to Iran," said teacher Reza Mirsadegh in the central city of Yazd.

"But I have changed my mind. I will vote for Rouhani to prevent Raisi's win."

Iran's ultimate authority Khamenei has warned the public against protests like those that broke out after the disputed election of 2009, when reformers disputed the victory of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"Those who deviate from this path will be slapped in the face," Khamenei said in a televised speech on Wednesday.

The powerful Revolutionary Guards force, its affiliated volunteer Basij militia and many Friday prayer leaders have thrown their support behind Raisi, a veteran jurist whose name has also been mentioned as a future supreme leader.

Qalibaf, a charismatic former Guards commander, lacks Raisi's backing from the clerical establishment but also has millions of supporters for a hardline message on security and a populist economic platform. He has made a run-off more likely by resisting calls from other hardliners to step aside.

Rouhani, meanwhile, has crossed traditional red lines in his rallies by openly criticising the security forces, trying to fire the enthusiasm of reformist voters.

"Those who over the past years only imposed bans ... please don´t even breathe the word freedom for it shames freedom," Rouhani said in a rally in the city of Hamedan. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; editing by Peter Graff) </s> Supreme leader denounces heated rhetoric and calls for high voter turnout as candidates hold last rallies ahead of poll.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has denounced the heated rhetoric of the country's presidential election campaign, calling it "unworthy", less than two days before Iranians go to the polls.

With the withdrawal of other candidates, Friday's election has turned into what is seen as an unexpectedly tight race between incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, of the Reformist bloc, and Ebrahim Raisi, a Principlist cleric and jurist.

The two squared off last week in a fiery televised debate, the third and final such event ahead of the May 19 vote.

"In the election debates, some remarks were made that were unworthy of the Iranian nation. But the [wide] participation of the people will erase all of that," Khamenei told an audience on Wednesday, according to his website.

READ MORE: The most important questions about Iran's elections

While Khamenei did not mention any candidate by name, his criticism appeared to be aimed at Rouhani, who during last week's debate told his main opponent: "Mr. Raisi, you can slander me as much as you wish. As a judge of the clerical court, you can even issue an arrest order. But please don't abuse religion for power".

He also said: "Some security and revolutionary groups are bussing people to your campaign rallies ... Who finances them?"

Raisi, who is seen to be very close to Khamenei, had previously attacked Rouhani for failing to deliver promised improvements to the economy.

"Poverty has increased with this government from 23 percent to 33 percent," said Raisi.

"We must increase direct aid to the poor," he added, accusing Rouhani's government of boosting subsidies only at the last minute to grab votes.

READ MORE: How will election shape Iran's foreign policy?

Under Iran's ruling system, Khamenei, who has been in office since 1989, has more authority than the elected president. Yet, the supreme leader is traditionally expected to remain above the fray of day-to-day politics, and Khameini has generally limited his comments about the election to calling for a strong voter turnout.

On Wednesday, the last day of campaigning marked by rallies attended by tens of thousands of supporters of the two main candidates, Khamenei urged voters to head to the polls and send a message to Iran's adversaries.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said turnout is expected to exceed 70 percent. Some 56.4 million people out of a population of 80 million are eligible to vote.

Fazli said that vote counting would commence after midnight and that the results would be announced "sooner" than in previous elections. In past occasions, results were announced two days later.

Friday's election will largely serve as a referendum on Rouhani's outreach to the West, which culminated in the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of some economic sanctions.

Despite the deal, Khamenei remains deeply suspicious of the United States and its intentions towards Iran.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump passed up a chance to derail the nuclear deal with Iran and capitalise on his campaign promise to "rip up" the agreement.

OPINION: Are elections in Iran an exercise in futility?

Trump had until Thursday to extend a sanctions waiver on Iran. The US state department announced a day earlier it would be signed, meaning old sanctions would not be re-imposed and the nuclear deal will continue - at least for now.

The department also announced the imposition of new unrelated sanctions against Iranian defence officials and an Iranian "entity". It also pledged to continue reviewing the nuclear deal with withdrawal still possible.

Rouhani has vowed to work towards removing the remaining non-nuclear sanctions, but Hamed Mousavi, a professor at the University of Tehran, told Al Jazeera that the Trump presidency made that promise unlikely.

"With Trump in power in the United States, that seems very doubtful," Mousavi said.

"The US administration, right now, doesn’t even want to negotiate with Iran. So whether [Rouhani] will be able to lift the even non-nuclear sanctions is more an election promise, than actual policy," he added.

Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull, reporting from the capital, Tehran, said Trump's decision on Wednesday "could be a boost" for Rouhani.

"So much tracks back here to the 2015 deal that so many people placed their hopes of economic progress and re-engagement in the world, but many have found themselves disappointed," Hull said, pointing to high unemployment rates.

Rouhani's opponents have criticised him over his economic record, saying his diplomatic efforts have done little to tackle unemployment and poverty.

Unemployment is officially stuck at 12.5 percent - close to 30 percent for the young - and many more are under-employed or struggling to get by.

Raisi has tried to pick up working-class votes by promising more financial support.

Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, reporting from the city of Qom, said those promises have played an important role in the campaign.

"What Raisi is depending on is a surge from those who are underprivileged, those who are poor, those who traditionally go to this camp in Iranian politics, and those assurances by Raisi, whether they can be afforded or not, of handouts to the poor," Simmons said.

For his part, Rouhani, who took over in 2013, says he needs more time to rebuild an economy that had been shattered by years of sanctions and mismanagement.

"At the halfway point, we don't turn back," he told voters.

Besides Rouhani and his Raisi, two other candidates - Mostafa Hashemitaba, a pro-reform figure who previously ran for president in 2001, and Mostafa Mirsalim, a former culture minister - are in the race but are widely expected to drop out before polling begins. </s> Iran's president and five other contenders face off in the final TV debate ahead of next week's election.

The six candidates competing in Iran's presidential election have squared off in their third and final televised debate, with President Hassan Rouhani lashing out at his hardline opponents and vowing to get rid of the remaining sanctions following 2015's nuclear deal.

During the fiery event, Rouhani, who is seeking a second four-year term on May 19, said the historic agreement with world powers had ended many sanctions and brought a windfall from renewed oil sales over the past year that could now be invested.

"We want to allocate $15bn for investments ... and $3-5bn for supporting the poor and needy," said Rouhani.

But he went further in his closing statement, vowing for the first time to target the remaining US sanctions that are still hampering trade deals and preventing foreign money from entering Iran.

"I will engage myself in lifting all the non-nuclear sanctions during the coming four years and bring back the grandeur of Iran and the Iranian people," he said.

Rouhani was first elected in a landslide four years ago on a promise to reduce Iran's international isolation.

In 2015, he negotiated the agreement with world powers to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for lifting sanctions.

He is now trying to hold on to office by firing up reformist voters disillusioned by a stalled economy and the slow pace of social reform.

"If we want a better economy, we should not let groups with security and political backing to get involved in the economy," Rouhani said in an swipe at the Revolutionary Guards Corps, an elite military force with a vast business empire, which has backed his main Principlist opponent Ebrahim Raisi.

The focus of the final debate was on the economy as the candidates, who are all male, outlined their vision for Iran's future.

As in the previous two, bruising debates, the main challengers tore into Rouhani's economic record, arguing that he failed to bring Iranians a better life despite the lifting of sanctions.

"Poverty has increased with this government from 23 percent to 33 percent," said Raisi, a cleric and jurist, who is seen as the leading conservative, though still a distant second to Rouhani in unofficial polls.

"We must increase direct aid to the poor," he added, accusing Rouhani's government of only boosting subsidies at the last minute to grab votes.

"Why did you wait for the election campaign to increase aid? Why didn't you do it four years ago? The people are intelligent and they will decide."

Raisi also kept up his efforts to reach out to poor and religiously conservative voters.

"The people expect government members to fear God," said Raisi, who runs the Imam Reza shrine in the holy city of Mashhad.

Rouhani said: "Mr Raisi, you can slander me as much you wish. As a judge of the clerical court, you can even issue an arrest order. But please don't abuse religion for power,"

"During these three televised debates, in the first two rounds, the Principlists actually won and the polls showed that," Mostafa Khoshcheshm, a journalist and university professor at the Fars Media Faculty, told Al Jazeera.

"But in the third one, I believe they [both camps] were equal. They were on the offensive as well as the defensive. They tried to question each other's performance, plans and agendas, but they dealt with their own plans and economic agenda for the country much less," he added.

Khoshcheshm said that Rouhani was expected to have "a difficult job" in the upcoming election.

"The poll show there is going to be a run-off, a second round. and Rouhani may not be able to secure the 50 percent plus one vote that he needs."

Rouhani's deal to lift sanctions won the cautious backing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but Khamenei and his loyalists criticise its failure to boost the economy.

Benefits have been slow to arrive, in part because of unilateral US sanctions still in place over Iran's missile programme, human rights record and allegations it supports terrorism.

Rouhani's allies say his rivals oppose deeper change and exposure to international competition in part because of the economic interests of the Guards, which gained control of swathes of Iran's industry during its years of isolation.
Candidates debate on live television with the rivals of frontrunner and current president, Hassan Rouhani, taking aim at his economic policies.