Early election results show Iran's hard-liners losing ground to reformists

(Image credit: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

last updated 28 February 2016

Early results from Iran's parliamentary elections show reformists receiving a strong backing while the nation's once dominant hard-liners are losing ground, The Associated Press reports. Friday's election was the first since Iran reached an agreement with the U.S. and other world powers to curb its nuclear program, an agenda that was championed by moderate President Hassan Rouhani.

Neither the reformists, the conservatives, nor the hard-liners are expected to gain a majority of the 290-seat legislature, although the reformists are having their best showing in over a decade. If the reformists do indeed come out on top, it could mean continued progress toward easing religious social restrictions and a better relationship with the international community.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.