Moderates Win Tehran Seats in Iran Elections

President Hassan Rouhani and his supporters have won most of the seats for a group that chooses Iran’s top religious leader.

Rouhani and his allies, considered moderates, won 15 of the 16 seats held by the capital city Tehran on Iran’s 88-member Assembly of Experts.

The results of the election were announced Monday. They are seen as a rejection of conservatives, including Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi.

He was not re-elected as head of the Assembly.

Voters also chose members of Iran’s 290-seat parliament. Official results are expected Monday or Tuesday. Unofficial results show reformers and moderates winning all of Tehran’s 30 parliamentary seats.

Conservatives are winning in rural areas.

Rouhani said Saturday the election has given the government more power to move forward on the agreement reached with Western powers to limit Iran’s nuclear activities.

Iran’s state-run news agency reported that Rouhani said, “The competition is over. It’s time to open a new chapter in Iran’s economic development based on domestic abilities and international opportunities.”

Rouhani strongly supported the nuclear agreement. Experts say the election results are a sign that Iranians support the agreement.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on the winners of the elections to act in the interests of Iran and reject the influence of others.

I’m Mario Ritter.

VOANews.com reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

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