The story: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has urged women to encourage voter turnout in the upcoming parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections. The latest in a series of calls for higher voter participation by top officials reflects concerns about persistently low turnout in recent years. Yet, the conservative-dominated political establishment continues to show few signs of being willing to reopen the political space for pro-reform candidates.

The coverage: Iran is slated to hold legislative elections on Mar. 1, 2024. Concurrently, polls will also be held for the Assembly of Experts; an 88-member clerical body tasked with supervising the performance of the supreme leader—and appointing his successor. Given that Khamenei is 84 years old, some observers have...