Daily Times

As Donald Trump hits the red carpet in Riyadh, Tehran threatens once more to steal the show. Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif is also in the Saudi kingdom attempting to woo the visiting American. Yet even he, a man not known for keeping his eye on the ball, would have been keenly watching the outcome of the Iranian presidential election that has returned the incumbent to power.

President Hassan Rouhani was re-elected with 57 percent of the vote. Of Iran’s 55 million eligible voters — only 41 million went to the ballot box. He campaigned on a mandate positioning himself as the defender of the poor. Much like another Iranian president before him, the twice-serving Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was disqualified for contesting this time around. Yet unlike the latter, Rouhani has not entirely sacrificed the poor in favour of confronting the West over the disputed nuclear programme. For he was the man who sealed the deal with the P5+1 to have a crippling sanctions regime lifted back in 2015.

Thus Rouhani will certainly be feeling the heat at home, if the poor don’t feel any tangible impact during his first term.

He has also been feeling the heat elsewhere. Across continents and also, much closer to home, across shared borders. The US president has made no secret of his disdain of the concluded nuclear deal. Indeed, just one month in the White House hot seat saw his slap sanctions on Iran in retaliation for the latter’s ballistic missile launch test. And with Trump meeting much of the Sunni Muslim world this weekend prior to his unveiling of the Islamic Military Alliance — there will be much for him not to keep quiet about.

The same may also be said of Pakistan’s prime minister. Though he will likely be more divided over the result. Being a reformist, Rouhani supports liberalising Iran’s economic policy and encouraging foreign direct investment. This serves Pakistan’s interests well, especially in terms of importing energy resources. Rouhani has also said he wants a slice of the CPEC pie, a move that Beijing is said to support and that will also benefit Pakistan both in economic terms as well as in consolidating a solid framework to resist US hegemony in the region.

Thus it would be prudent if Nawaz let go of any possible grudge held against Iran over the latter’s audacity to say anything but thank you to Gen Raheel for taking command of the so-called Muslim NATO. For Pakistan has got what it wanted all along: a welcome image boost on the international stage as a fighter of terrorism rather than a state-sponsor. Thus in order to build on this — it would be equally prudent if Nawaz would take more seriously than he has up until now Tehran’s concerns over anti-Iranian militant safe-havens operating from Pakistani soil. Unless he is hiding once more behind Gen Raheel, who, this time, is wearing a uniform of a different hue.

Given that the he who holds the presidency in Iran plays second fiddle to the Supreme Leader — it may well just be up to both the US and Pakistan, as well as the emerging Sunni Muslim bloc to take the first step in strengthening ties with Iran. The Iranian people have spoken. Now it remains up to the rest of the world.  *