Participation in Friday's general election necessary to combat enemies' 'propaganda,' Khamenei tells Iranians in televised address

Rouhani warns of a threat to Iran's democracy by clerical hard-liners after a body dominated by ultra-conservatives disqualified thousands of candidates ahead of the upcoming vote

After Guardian Council nixes almost two-thirds of hopefuls from election, president warns against elections becoming a formality, says public must be reassured

Regime says most are accused of corruption, but opposition paper says moderates and reformists make up lion's share of black list, meaning hardliners will dominate vote

February elections seen to be a measure of the popularity of the electoral camps represented by Rouhani; national vote comes after weeks of unrest