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The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Says His Government Will Hold Parliamentary Elections on Schedule

Feb 8, 2026 February 8, 2026 1 min read 📰 VOA Persian
📋 Key Takeaway

The Iranian President announced that parliamentary elections will proceed as scheduled despite significant protests from reformist leaders over the disqualification of many candidates. Khatami and Karroubi expressed concerns that the elections will not be free or fair, potentially leading to low voter turnout. This situation highlights ongoing tensions between reformists and conservatives in Iran's political landscape.

🔍 Quick Context Guide
💡 Bottom Line: Iran's scheduled elections amid candidate disqualifications highlight ongoing political tensions and could impact voter turnout and reformist influence.

👥 Key Players

Ebrahim Raisi MENTIONED
President of Iran
"As the President, he is responsible for implementing policies and overseeing the executive branch of the government."
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei MENTIONED
Supreme Leader of Iran
"He is the highest authority in Iran, with significant influence over all branches of government, including the electoral process."
Khatami MENTIONED
Former President and reformist leader
"A prominent reformist figure advocating for political reform and greater freedoms in Iran."
Mehdi Karroubi MENTIONED
Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly
"A key reformist leader and critic of the current electoral process, advocating for fair elections."
Guardian Council MENTIONED
Constitutional body overseeing elections
"Responsible for vetting candidates and has significant power in shaping the political landscape by approving or disqualifying candidates."

📰 What Happened

Iran's President announced that parliamentary elections will proceed as scheduled despite protests from reformist leaders over the disqualification of many candidates. Reformist leaders argue that these disqualifications undermine the fairness of the elections.

  • The Supreme Leader ordered the elections to proceed on schedule.
  • Thousands of reformist candidates have been disqualified, leading to protests.

💡 Why It Matters

🇮🇷 For Iran: The disqualification of reformist candidates could lead to decreased voter turnout and increased political tension within the country.
🌍 Regional: Iran's political stability is crucial for regional stability, and internal unrest could have spillover effects.
🌐 International: Western countries often view Iran's electoral processes as a measure of the country's political openness and reform potential.

📚 Background

Iran's political system is a complex mix of theocratic and democratic elements, with the Supreme Leader holding significant power over the electoral process.

Iranian elections Reformist vs. conservative politics in Iran
📡 Source: NEUTRAL
📊 Confidence: 70%
The source provides a straightforward account of the situation, focusing on the electoral process and political tensions.

The President of the Islamic Republic of Iran states that his government will hold parliamentary elections on schedule according to the Supreme Leader's decree, but this will be done alongside protests. Khatami and Mehdi Karroubi, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, warned in a letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that due to the disqualification of thousands of reformist candidates from participating in the elections, free and fair voting will not be possible. The letter also criticizes the Guardian Council, which did not heed the Supreme Leader's order to reconsider the disqualifications. They remind that voters will have little motivation to go to the polls on the first of Esfand. Despite the protests from reformist legislators regarding the disqualifications, the Supreme Leader ordered that the elections be held on schedule. Reformist legislators claim that the Guardian Council is attempting to assist conservatives in breaking the reformists' majority in the parliament through fraud and manipulation in the elections.

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Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →

Translation confidence: 85%

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