Moderates make big gains in early results as Iran backs closer ties with the West

President Hassan Rouhani won a resounding vote of confidence and reformist allies won 29 out of Tehran’s 30 parliamentary seats in elections that could speed Iran’s post-sanctions opening to the world, early results released on Saturday showed. Tens of millions thronged polling stations on Friday for a twin vote for the 290-seat parliament and the 88-member Assembly of Experts, which selects the country’s highest authority, the supreme leader. Final results are expected on Sunday.

The people showed their power once again and gave more credibility and strength to their elected government.

Rouhani

President Rouhani’s reformist allies made gains in the races for parliament and the assembly, both in the hands of anti-Western hardliners for years. Supporters of Rouhani, who championed the nuclear deal, were pitted against hardliners close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni, who are deeply wary of detente with Western countries. The conservative Guardian Council had restricted both races by disqualifying most reformist and many moderate candidates.

Iran