Iran’s former president Mohammad Khatami, a leading Reformist figure, has abstained from voting in the elections, a sign that he joined the popular boycott of the election.

Mohammad-Ali Abtahi, a senior aide to the former president, confirmed the report on Saturday.

Iran's hardliners, using the interior ministry and the election watchdog, the Guardian Council, barred hundreds of former officials and politicans from running in the elections.

Khatami used to be so popular in the past that his call for participation in the elections would guarantee millions of votes.

In February, he highlighted widespread dissatisfaction among educated youth, elites, and over 50 percent of the population who abstained from voting in the 2020 and 2021 elections.

The former president emphasized the need for competitive, free, and fair elections, advocating for representation of reformists, conservatives, and all Iranians.

Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, only individuals loyal to the clerical regime have been permitted to run in elections. Those with dissenting views not only faced bans on political activities but also risked arrest and lengthy prison terms.

Though a large number of Reformists chose not to run in Iran’s recent parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections, the few who had registered were mostly disqualified by the Guardian Council. The most prominent example was former president Hassan Rouhani who was barred from re-election at the Assembly of Experts.

Though Iranian regime media claim a voter turnout of more than 40% in the elections, social media posts offer a contrasting narrative through videos and images, indicating a lackluster participation.

A telephone poll conducted from abroad by Washington-based Stasis Consulting had projected that the turnout would be set to hit a new record low of just 34 percent.