The campaign period for the upcoming parliamentary elections officially ended on Thursday amid calls from university students to boycott the elections.
Students have held occasional protests in the lead-up to the vote, scheduled to take place on Friday, February 21, during which they've called on the public to sit out on the election using the social media hashtag #BoycottIranShamElections to demonstrate their opposition. Said opposition comes months after two waves of anti-government protests and violence against participants.
Due to rising tensions between the United States and Iran in Iraq over the last two months, issues surrounding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly referred to as the Iranian nuclear deal, and several domestic issues including the state of the economy and anti-government protests, a lot is at stake. Continued protests remain possible at polling stations and universities on the day of elections. A heightened security presence is to be expected in the vicinity of any protest.