Iranians have gone to the polls in a parliamentary election largely devoid of candidates seeking dialogue with the West.

The vote took place on Friday, with 290 seats up for grabs. Preliminary results are expected in several days.

The election is held every four years.

Authorities disqualified a quarter of the people who filed for candidacy in pre-election screenings. Many were reformists.

The move prompted some eligible voters to abstain.

Local media say Iran's conservative hardliners, who back the anti-US policies of President Ebrahim Raisi, are likely to increase their dominance.

Alireza Abbasi, a candidate and senior member of the radical Front of Islamic Revolution Stability party, told NHK that Tehran should maintain support for Hamas in Gaza.

He said Iran has been wrongly accused of destabilizing the enclave. And he criticized Washington for supporting Israel, saying the crisis will be resolved once the United States stops interfering.

Some citizens expressed concern about Iran's worsening rift with the West.

Some say economic sanctions are taking a heavy toll, and others call on Tehran to seek ties with other countries to improve people's lives.