Iranian Reformist presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi hints that he may drop out of the presidential race in favor of Mir-Hossein Mousavi at a later stage.

"Running with a single Reformist candidate [at this stage] would… lead to our defeat, as Ahmadinejad would gain 50 percent of the vote and win the elections in the very first round," Karroubi said Thursday during a campaign visit to the northwestern city of Ardabil.

He went on to say, however, that the time may come for the camp to unify and throw its weight behind a single candidate for the sake of winning the elections.

For now, Karroubi said, the objective is to win further support for the Reformist camp, but "before the end of the election campaign, anything is possible."

During the past few months, Karroubi had repeatedly rejected the possibility of withdrawing his bid for the presidency in favor of the other candidates.

The tenth Iranian presidential elections, scheduled for June 12, will determine the result of the face-off between Mousavi, Karroubi, incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei.

Karroubi will contest the presidency on the Reformist platform while Rezaei and Ahmadinejad are considered Principlists.

Mousavi has refrained from officially linking his political tendencies to a certain camp but is acknowledged as a candidate with strong ties with Reformist figures.

MJ/ZAP/AA