Iran’s February elections for parliament and for the Assembly of Experts — which selects the supreme leader — were the first since President Hassan Rouhani signed the nuclear deal with the United States in 2015. Rouhani is part of a reformist camp, represented in the elections as the List of Hope, oriented towards opening up the democratic process, easing sanctions, improving international relations, and opposition to the country’s powerful conservatives.

Out of thousands of candidates for the country’s 290 parliamentary seats, roughly 60 percent were disqualified by the Guardian Council before voters could even consider them. Nevertheless, reformists swept Tehran’s seats, creating a wedge against hardliners in Iran’s most populous province.

But how should the Left relate to the centrist List of Hope? Here, we speak to Peyman Jafari of the University of Amsterdam about the meaning of February’s elections, prospects for democratic reforms, and the future of the Iranian left.