Khamenei Urges Confronting Election Boycott ‘Strategy’

A picture published by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s website showing him receiving a group of residents from the city of Qom.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, issued a cautionary statement asserting that the strategic agenda of Iran's adversaries involves actively discouraging public participation in elections.
Khamenei’s address comes days after the Guardian Council approved approximately 11,000 applications to contest the parliamentary elections, out of a total of 48,000 submissions made to the Ministry of Interior last summer.
The electoral weight of political parties remains unknown as the scheduled elections on March 1 approach.
According to Iranian news sources, officials and former deputies have received approval to participate in the electoral race, while 26 deputies have been disqualified due to eligibility issues for the elections.
During an annual meeting with residents of the conservative city of Qom, Khamenei emphasized the imperative for collective efforts to ensure public engagement in elections.
He outlined two fundamental conditions for this: “precise guidance” and “cognitive rehabilitation” to draw people into the “arena of struggle and resilience.”
Defending his insistence on increasing voter turnout in the elections, Khamenei reiterated criticism against those labeling Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi as “populist.”
He underscored that “focusing on the people” is a cornerstone of the political system’s policies.
Khamenei accused the US and Israel of trying to keep Iranians away from politics by undermining incentives and creating doubts about key events.
The leader elaborated on his belief that people’s active involvement in politics provokes hostility from the US and Israel.
He argued that such participation boosts Iran’s influence, resilience, and strategic depth in the face of regional challenges, countering past conspiracies like coups and wars.
Khamenei noted that when people are kept away from political engagement, it pleases the enemy, a trend he sees reflected in various economic sectors.
These remarks come about a week after a discussion between Raisi and representatives from various political currents and licensed political parties in the country.
Representatives from the reformist and moderate factions suggested that people might refrain from participating in parliamentary elections, primarily due to widespread discontent over economic challenges.