Iran’s hard-liners have emerged as the front-runners in the initial vote count of the parliamentary election held in Tehran. State media reports indicate that turnout for the election was at a record-low. The official figures are yet to be released, but early unofficial reports suggest a turnout of 41%. For the past two decades, hard-liners have had a monopoly over the Iranian parliament. This election is significant as it comes in the wake of the nationwide protests in 2022, which led to a brutal crackdown by the authorities. The protests were triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in police custody. Her death ignited calls for the overthrow of the country’s clerical rulers. The subsequent clampdown resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and the arrest of thousands of individuals, according to human rights activists in Iran.