5 Things to Know About the Iranian Elections

Iran is holding elections on Friday for the first time since it reached a nuclear deal with six world powers including the U.S., U.K., China, Russia, Germany and France last year. The poll comes amid an internal struggle between moderates and hard-liners, and the results could help shape Iran’s ties to the west in a post-sanctions era.

#1: What are the elections for?

The elections are for the Iranian parliament and a clerical body called the Assembly of Experts. The 290-member parliament can propose and approve legislation and ratify treaties, among other powers. The Assembly of Experts is an 88-member clerical body that will choose a new supreme leader when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dies.

#2: Are the elections fair?

A powerful body called the Guardian Council, over which Mr. Khamenei maintains significant sway, can disqualify candidates it deems unsuitable. Critics of Iran’s electoral system say the disqualification process, which reformists complain has targeted them, makes the elections unfair.

#3: Will the nuclear deal influence the vote?

The elections will serve as a referendum on President Hassan Rouhani and his moderate allies. Mr. Rouhani, who was elected in 2013, is spearheading a tentative move toward modernity and greater openness. His signature accomplishment: A nuclear deal that resulted in the removal of international sanctions on Iran after the Islamic Republic agreed to scale back its nuclear program. The elections are the first since the deal, and any gains by moderates would show Iranians approve of his approach.

#4: Who is competing to get elected?

In the broadest sense, this is a tug of war in Iran between people who see advantages in opening up to the world versus those who favor an inward-looking, resilient philosophy. It is generational, too. Younger Iranians—most of whom were born after the Islamic Revolution in 1979—often fit into the former camp. Hard-liners and conservatives want to accommodate the younger generation’s desires, but they also want to preserve their hard-won power and prestige.

#5: When will we get the results?

There probably won’t be a clear-cut result immediately after the elections Friday. Iranian parliament members don’t fall into easily-defined political categories, like they do in the West. Candidates are often endorsed by multiple parties with somewhat different agendas. Many are independents. That means it is often up to analysts to determine the balance between moderates and hardliners in any newly-elected political body.