The story: The hardliner-controlled vetting of city council candidates in Iran has seen a sweeping purge of Reformist hopefuls ahead of next month’s elections. The Reformist camp, which holds a majority on the councils of several key cities—including Tehran—is now worried about a decisive defeat. With an expected low turnout for the elections already favoring the hardliners, Reformists are now calling for the purge to be reversed.

The coverage: The administration of moderate President Hassan Rouhani has stated that...