WASHINGTON, March 1, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - The United States said that Iran's elections Friday are certain to be unfair, as the conservative establishment seeks to blunt boycott calls.

"I have no expectation that Iran's elections will be free and fair, and I suspect that a great number of Iranians have no expectation that those elections will be free and fair," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters Thursday.

"Thousands of candidates were already disqualified in an opaque process, and the world has long known that Iran's political system features undemocratic and nontransparent administrative, judicial and electoral systems," Miller said.

Iran holds elections Friday for parliament and the Assembly of Experts, which appoints the supreme leader of the cleric-run state.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 84, who has held the top position since 1989, has encouraged Iranian voters to come out in force, charging that the state's "enemies" want low turnout.

But the election has been criticized even by veteran players inside the Islamic republic.

Hassan Rouhani, who as Iran's president until 2021 sought to ease tensions with the United States, said he was barred from seeking another term on the Assembly of Experts after 24 years of membership.

He called for the election to be a "protest vote" but stopped short of calling directly for a boycott, which has been advocated by some opposition figures and members of the diaspora.

The United States and Iran have been adversaries since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the pro-Western shah.

The latest election comes after Iran's relations with the United States again took a hit following the October 7 attack in Israel by Hamas, which is backed by the Islamic republic.