Daily Times

Assuming office on August 3, 2013 as the seventh President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani has to deal with regional neighbours and needs to maintain vigorous diplomatic relations with Washington if he wants his tenure to exhibit progress and growth for his country. The world saw his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as a rebel President who defied all demands from the west and carried on with Iran’s nuclear enrichment plan. However, his dissident attitude came with a price — international sanctions that stalled Iran’s economic growth. President Rouhani, however, has different objectives and wants to build bridges with the west. In his recent article published in The New York Times, President Rouhani said, “To move beyond impasses, we need to aim higher. Rather than focusing on how to prevent things from getting worse, we need to think — and talk — about how to make things better.”

President Rouhani has assumed office at a time when the Middle East is echoing with the Arab Spring and the US is at the verge of attacking Syria. Although Russia has intervened and compelled President Barack Obama to take a diplomatic route, the shadows of a possible attack might loom over Syria so long as the issue remains unresolved. This will compel Iran to remain on its toes to safeguard Syria, for both political and religious reasons.

During former President Ahmadinejad’s second term, public opinion had turned against Ahmadinejad because he was believed to have come into power twice following elections that were deemed controversial. Moreover, Ahmadinejad’s policies had put Iran in an economic crunch and had jeopardized its relations with rest of the world, specially the west. President Rouhani, on the other hand, is seen as a breath of fresh air because he not only won a respectable mandate, he has vowed to bring Iran back on the path of economic growth, decrease inflation, and create a positive image of Iran on the international stage. How will he accomplish his objectives is yet to be seen. Iran has to fight with the west to safeguard its nuclear programme, and with a political and religious crisis rising in the Middle East, the Iranians are wondering if President Rouhani can really deliver.

The 64-year old Iranian President has served as Head of the Department of Defence, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy and National Security, and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. Therefore Rouhani’s diplomatic experience, which also includes serving as Iran’s frontline nuclear negotiator for years, will help Tehran strengthen its relations with the outside world.

President Rouhani’s success during his maiden term as President, however, will depend on his relationship with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is Iran’s prime political authority and is known for making key policy decisions. Iran’s progress in various fields, especially in foreign policy, will depend on the unison between Ayatollah Khamenei and President Rouhani.

President Rouhani, before tackling foreign policy issues, would need to make Iran’s economy stronger. The recession in Iran has increased inflation to almost 36 percent, which is creating problems for the people and is affecting Iran’s balance of payments. Moreover, inflation in food prices is touching the 55 percent mark and unemployment is nearly 12 percent. If unemployment is becoming a burden then international sanctions have also been playing a part in sending the country into an abyss. Moreover, Iran has witnessed a 65 percent drop in oil exports, its chief source of income, due to sanctions.

Furthermore, in 2012, the Iranian rial lost value by 80 percent because of banking sanctions. The currency’s value decreased when Tehran was unable to receive its petrodollars, which created a shortage of hard currency in the country. Although Iran has been in conflict wit the world powers for defying western demands, President Rouhani would be looking forward to enter into diplomatic agreements with the west that could end these sanctions. In a recent interview to an international news channel, President Rouhani has assured that Iran is looking for only peaceful nuclear technology. He said, “We have never pursued or sought a nuclear bomb, and we are not going to do so.”

After assuming office, President Rouhani suggested that Iran must abide by a transparent process while conducting its nuclear activities and that Tehran should be more active in holding talks with other countries. If President Rouhani manages to create a diplomatic route to soften international sanctions against the country, this will be a major stride for Iran.

The writer is a freelance columnist for various English dailies and writes on international relations with focus on South Asia. He tweets @omariftikhar