clipped from www.nytimes.com

Mohammad Khatami, the reformist former president, has decided to withdraw from the June presidential race to support a political ally

“The most important goal is to prevent Mr. Ahmadinejad from re-election, not to get Mr. Khatami elected,”

Mr. Mousavi, who is also a painter and architect, stayed out of politics for the past two decades and had turned down calls to run as presidential candidate in previous elections. His wife, Zahra Rahnavard, was the dean of the prestigious women’s university, Al Zahra, from 1998 to 2006 and is close ally of Mr. Khatami.

President Ahmadinejad is supported by the conservative Iranian establishment, but his economic policies have unleashed economic inflation of over 25 percent, and two major setbacks last week suggested that he might be losing support ahead of elections.