The Washington Post: Iranians Took Part in Elections. Guess what: Their Votes Mattered.

“The stunning setback of the hard-liners in the elections is precisely why they opposed the Iran nuclear deal,” wrote Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, in an email. “They knew that if successful, the Rouhani faction would benefit electorally from the significant achievement of resolving the nuclear issue and reducing tensions with United States. These benefits would not just be limited to the parliamentary elections, but could establish a new balance of power in Iran’s internal politics with significant long-term repercussions.”