Iranian politics are often described as a battle between Reformists and conservatives. But since there are no official political parties in the Islamic Republic of Iran, this view is highly simplistic and sometimes inaccurate. In Iran, major political power brokers align among fluid and sometimes blurred factions and groupings. Major political events often dictate the platform of these factions rather than the reverse.
With an economy stabilized but not yet recovered and many campaign promises still unfulfilled, President Hassan Rouhani is hoping that the Feb. 26 elections brings about a grouping of parliamentary factions that will cooperate with rather than hinder his policies.