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| 2000 |
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| Amid signs of a loosening of social constraints in Iran—for example, more opportunities for women to appear unveiled—conservatives blocked most formal reform legislation, such as a proposal to raise women's marriage age from 9 to 14 years. | 1 |
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| 2000, Feb. 18 and May 5 |
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| Elections to the Majlis, the Iranian parliament, resulted in nearly two-thirds of the seats going to reformers and Khatami supporters. Hard-line conservatives won only 44 of the 290 seats. | 2 |
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| April 23–27 |
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| In an effort to crush the rebel spirit, the government closed more than 16 moderate reform newspapers through rulings by the conservative high courts. By August, the judiciary had succeeded in closing every one of Iran's reformist newspapers that had supported the moderate agenda of Pres. Khatami. A severe crackdown on the liberal press ensued, and writers throughout Iran were arrested. | 3 |
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