The difference in the mood between Iran’s last two national elections was stark. The first was marked by hope and expectation as Hassan Rouhani, backed by reformists, won a landside victory in a 2017 presidential poll in which nearly three-quarters of eligible voters turned out. It was widely viewed as a referendum on the nuclear deal Tehran had sealed with world powers and a reflection of Iranians’ desire for their leaders to re-engage with the west and open up the country.
The second, held on Friday, epitomised the sense of hopelessness gripping many of Iran’s 80m population. Turnout at the parliamentary election was about 42.5 per cent, the lowest in a national vote since the 1979 Islamic revolution. It was well below that in large cities, such as Tehran.
Much has happened in the past three years that can explain Iranians’ despondency. But one theme has dominated: US President Donald Trump’s “ maximum pressure” strategy, which has placed unprecedented burdens on Iran’s economy. Mr Trump’s stated aim since he withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear accord and imposed swingeing sanctions on the Islamic republic has been to change the regime’s behaviour. Goals include pressuring Tehran to renegotiate the atomic deal, end its support for militant groups and curb its missile programme.