Iran Elections: An Explainer

On Friday, Iran held elections for the first time since the 2022 mass protests that followed the death of Mahsa Amini.?

The protests - an authentic, grass roots call for change - were met with a brutal crackdown, in which at least 500 were killed and more than 22,000 detained. Iranians received a clear message: expressing discontent with the regime through civil unrest would not be tolerated.?

These elections are a reminder that the ballot box is no route to change either. Experts are clear – these elections, like so many before, were not free and fair and lacked legitimacy.?

How are the elections undemocratic??

Two separate elections took place: for the parliament, known as the Majlis, and for the Assembly of Experts, the body responsible for appointing and monitoring Iran’s Supreme Leader.?

Applicants to either legislative arm must be approved by the Guardian Council, a 12-member body made up of clerics and legal experts, half of whom are directly appointed by the Supreme Leader. Through the Guardian Council, the regime controls election outcomes by blocking candidates it does not agree with.?

This year, 501 candidates registered for the Assembly of Experts, and 366 (71%) were disqualified. Like in all previous administrations, no women were permitted to contest the 88 available seats.??

The incoming Assembly of Experts is of some consequence as it may oversee the succession of the Supreme Leader. Current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ruled Iran for 34 years.?

Candidacy for the Majlis, like the Assembly of Experts, is conditional and subject to regime approval. Women have been disproportionately targeted with disqualification historically, yet the regime will point to record numbers of women being approved this year. However, this is misleading due to the total number of approved candidates increasing significantly. Women remained a small fraction of total candidates, consistent with previous years.?

Iranian society is ethnically and religiously diverse, yet minority groups are poorly represented in the Majlis and wider politics. Only certain groups are permitted to stand for election by law.?

The regime’s tactic of obstructing candidates is a way to narrow the political elite around hard-line cliques. Ex-President and previous Assembly of Experts member, Hassan Rouhani, who is perceived as a moderate in Iran, was among those disqualified from the Assembly of Experts this year.?

What is the UK’s position??

The UK has pushed back against the incumbent hard-line regime’s policies, which includes the development of their nuclear programme, their introduction of a more restrictive mandatory hijab law, and their engagement in destabilising regional activity. We will continue to work with international partners to hold Iran to account.?

Via the protests of 2022, the Iranian people made a clear demand for a government more representative of their views and responsive to their needs. These elections demonstrate the barriers Iranians face to achieving this goal.??

The UK believes it is for all Iranians to decide the future of Iran.?