What We're Tracking Iran holds elections. On March 1, Iran will hold its first election since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide protests in 2022. Iranians will cast ballots for the country's 290-seat parliament, as well as for the all-cleric 88-seat Assembly of Experts, which advises Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has sought to encourage more people to participate in this year's election after only 42.57% of Iranian voters participated in the 2020 ballot. Some reformist and moderate candidates were barred from running in the parliamentary election — paving the way for an equally or even more conservative legislature, which could see the body appoint a more hard-line speaker, replacing current Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.