In this September 2002, file photo, Iranian women hold pictures of President Mohammad Khatami during a public welcoming ceremony at the Azadi stadium in the city of Rasht northwest of capital Tehran, Iran. A similar rally in support of President Ahmadinejad and Rahim Mashaei, who Ahmadinejad has selected to succeed him as his party’s candidate for the presidency, is expected on Thursday. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)