Parliamentary elections in Iran

Iranians are at the polls today to vote in a parliamentary election expected to reinforce the
power of the clerical establishment of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over hardline political rivals led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Leading reformist groups have said they will stay away from voting, setting the stage for a straight contest between backers of Khamenei and Ahmadinejad. With Iran facing growing international isolation, western sanctions over its nuclear programme and a threat of attack by Israel, Iranian leaders have been calling for a high turnout to bolster their legitimacy. The election will be the first since the country's disputed presidential election in 2009, when opposition and pro-democracy protests were quelled by security forces.