Long Queues Reported as Iranians Vote in Parliamentary, Assembly Elections
Long queues reported across the Islamic Republic’s polling stations on Friday as Iranian voters cast ballots to elect the country’s next parliament and the powerful Assembly of Experts.
Voters in Iran are heading to the polls to select the members of the country’s 290-seat legislature. Voters are also casting ballots to pick the members of the Assembly of Experts, a key body tasked with selecting the country’s supreme leader.
“Make Friends Happy, Ill-wishers Disappointed”
As Iran’s nationwide elections for the Parliament and the Assembly of Experts kicked off in the Islamic Republic on Friday morning, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei cast his ballot in the early hours of the voting.
The Leader cast his ballot at the Imam Khomeini Husseiniya of Tehran as soon as the voting began at 8 am local time, with enthusiastic journalists and photographers present at the site of the voting.
“Our dear nation should know that today, the eyes of many people in the world, both individuals and politicians and those who hold prestigious national and political positions, are on Iran,” the Leader told reporters in comments after voting.
His eminence called for a high turnout to disappoint enemies and ill-wishers.
“Make the friends happy and disappoint the ill-wishers,” the Leader told people in the live televised speech.
Those watching included the US, “most of the Europeans, evil Zionists, capitalists and big companies”, Imam Khamenei said, adding that the US and the Zionist entity, “which carefully follow Iran’s issues, are afraid of the people’s participation in the elections”.
Asked about an advice about the undecided voters, the Leader said people should not hesitate about doing good things.
Long Queues, Tight Security
The countrywide elections for the Parliament and the Assembly of Experts officially began in Iran at 8 am local time on Friday.
A deputy interior minister said many polling stations across Iran have been packed with an early-morning crowd of voters after the vote kicked off.
Iranian Interior Ministry’s Deputy for Security Affairs Majid Mirahmadi said that long queues of voters have been formed at many polling stations across the country, describing it as a major epic.
