The debates are key to building public interest in the vote. They’re held on Fridays -- the weekend in Iran --so that people have time to watch them. The first live televised debates were held in 2009, generating great interest among Iranians.
Candidates are on the stage, listening to the Koran reading. The debate will start any minute now.
A little reminder of where Iran stands economically in the region, at least according to the 2016 indicators as cited by The World Bank:
Iran is the second largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region after Saudi Arabia, with an estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016 of US$412.2 billion. It also has the second largest population of the region after Egypt, with an estimated 78.8 million people in 2015. Iran’s economy is characterized by the hydrocarbon sector, agriculture and services sectors, and a noticeable state presence in manufacturing and financial services. Iran ranks second in the world in natural gas reserves and fourth in proven crude oil reserves. Economic activity and government revenues still depend to a large extent on oil revenues and therefore remain volatile.
Here is a picture of the stage with the six candidates.