The Islamic Republic of Iran’s domestic and foreign politics were rocked by the largely unexpected election of Hassan Rouhani as president in June 2013. Despite the election of the Centrist Rouhani, who promised change and especially the resolution of the nuclear crisis, questions remain over how the new president’s promises could translate into concrete changes within Iran’s complex political system. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wields enormous power and was not seen as necessarily being a proponent of the policy changes sought by Rouhani. Following Khamenei’s speech on 17 September 2013 to the 20th General Assembly of Commanders and Officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), however, […]
↧