“Fortunately, [the Iranian] people are still present on the scene with fervor and emotion for creating an epic in order to safeguard the very foundation of their Revolution,” Kazem Seddiqi said in an address to worshipers during the weekly Friday Prayers in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Millions of Iranians across the country are voting in two crucial elections of the 290-seat Parliament (Majlis) and the 88-member Assembly of Experts on Friday in the first polling since a landmark nuclear agreement reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries last July.

Seddiqi further said the people’s large-scale presence in the polling stations is a manifestation of the “steadfastness and loyalty” of the Iranian people to the Islamic establishment and the principles of the Islamic Revolution.

Zarif: Iranians united with establishment

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday that the Iranian voters would once again show to the world that they stand by the Islamic Republic and the administration they voted for in 2013.

He added that through voting en masse, the Iranians have shown that they remain “united” with the Islamic establishment notwithstanding “all problems and pressures.”

“Elections are a manifestation of religious democracy,” said Zarif.

‘Deadline extension’

Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli had earlier said that the voting deadline would be extended if need be. The deadline was later pushed back two hours to 8:00 PM local time (1630 GMT).

The twin elections opened at 8:00 local time (0430 GMT). Some 55 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the two elections.

Larijani: Iranians sensitive to future

Iran’s parliament speaker Ali Larijani said the people’s vote shows they are “sensitive to their future.”

“A good Majlis will enhance the country’s efficacy and capability in resolving the problems,” he said.

Mobile polling booths dispatched

In some districts in Tehran, mobile polling booths were installed in order to deal with the long queues of eligible voters.

As many as 4,844 candidates, including about 500 women, are competing for a place in the Parliament, head of the Interior Ministry’s election headquarters Mohammad Hossein Moqimi said on Thursday.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the elections have an added importance as he cast his vote in the opening hours of the voting at a polling station in downtown Tehran on Friday. 

“Elections are always important but in certain junctures they have more importance,” Ayatollah Khamenei said. 

As the polls opened at 8:00 local time (0430 GMT) long queues formed in the capital Tehran, our correspondents reported. Iranian news agencies also reported high turnout elsewhere in the country of 80 million, where 55 million people are eligible to vote. 

Ayatollah Khamenei called on all Iranians to participate in the elections, saying “voting is both a right and a duty.”

“Anybody who loves Iran, anybody who loves the Islamic Republic and national dignity, grandeur and glory is advised to participate in the elections,” the Leader said.   

A burning issue on the minds of many Iranians is the economy which found center stage during a week of campaigning by candidates. 

Most of the 4,844 candidates, including about 500 women, opted to get down to brass tacks on their campaign trails, including a nagging stagflation. The official unemployment rate stands at 10 percent and inflation hovers around 15 percent. 

The elections are the first since Iran clinched a landmark nuclear agreement which has generated both hopes and worries in the country. Iranians have had to temper their expectations amid warnings that the West’s uncompromising ways with the country are far from over. 

“Our enemies have their covetous eyes trained on Iran. People are advised to vote with discretion and foresight and disappoint the enemies,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.  

The Leader advised voters to participate “in this great task with the intention of generating additional dignity and full independence for the country.” 

The impact of the deal has yet to be felt on the streets as international companies are jockeying for position for trade with Iran. Moreover, the US administration is keeping most “primary” sanctions against the Islamic Republic in place. 

“We are worried about the numerous (Western) companies that are constantly travelling to Iran since the nuclear agreement,” Golamali Hadad Adel said on Wednesday. 

“This country should not turn into a market for the consumer goods of alien forces,” he added. 

A former parliament speaker, Hadad Adel leads the main principlist faction in the elections against reformists vying for seats under the leadership of Mohammed Reza Aref, a former vice president.

Any new legislation must pass through the Parliament; hence, the elections matter to the president to press ahead with his plans. 

“I have no doubt that the Iranian nation will create another epic at this important juncture,” President Hassan Rouhani said as he cast his ballots in Tehran. 

The president called elections as “a symbol of Iran’s independence and national sovereignty,” saying the government will spare no efforts to protect people’s vote and ensure healthy and legitimate elections.

In the capital Tehran, some 1,000 candidates compete for 30 parliamentary seats. Five seats also go to the religious minorities recognized in the Iranian Constitution, namely Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians.

Members of Parliament serve four-year terms.

Among the main tasks of the legislative body are introducing legislation, dismissing the president and cabinet ministers through no-confidence votes, approving annual national budget and ratifying international treaties.

In the simultaneous vote on Friday, Iranians will also select 88 senior religious figures of the Assembly of Experts, which is tasked with appointing the Leader and monitoring his performance.