Toronto Star

Emboldened by Rouhani’s win, Iranians seek further reforms

President’s re-election comes as Trump pushes alliances that would isolate country

- THOMAS ERDBRINK THE NEW YORK TIMES

TEHRAN, IRAN— Iranians came out in force to dance in the streets this weekend, breaking Islamic rules, to celebrate the re-election of President Hassan Rouhani by a large margin.

Emboldened by the election results, others gathered in the capital, Tehran, to begin demanding what they hope a second term for Rouhani will bring: the release of opposition figures, more freedom of thought and fewer restrictio­ns on daily life.

Rouhani’s supporters also expect the victory to bolster his outreach efforts to the West and the pursuit of more foreign investment in Iran’s ailing economy. His win, with 57 per cent of the vote, came the same weekend that U.S. President Donald Trump was meeting with Saudi and other Arab leaders to discuss, in part, a strengthen­ed alliance against Iran.

Nothing could better highlight the challenge the pragmatic Iranian cleric faces in his second term than Trump’s call on the world on Sunday to isolate Iran.

Trump’s uncompromi­sing line on Iran was enthusiast­ically welcomed by his Sunni hosts, Iran’s bitter regional rival, Saudi Arabia. On Sunday, Saudi King Salman described the Shiite regime in Iran as “the spearhead of global terrorism.” Trump appeared to agree.

“All nations of conscience must work together to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve,” Trump said in Riyadh to a gathering of heads of state from dozens of Muslim countries.

Yet the strategy Trump laid out will probably prove counterpro­ductive in Iran. In contrast to its leadership, Iran’s population is one of the most pro-American in the Middle East. The hard line might also gain little support outside the Gulf States and Israel, said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for Internatio­nal Peace in Washington.

Regime hardliners such as Ebrahim Raisi, whom Rouhani defeated in Friday’s election, are already fighting to isolate the country from the West and its influence, so Trump’s policy will for them be “more carrot than stick,” Sadjadpour said.

For those who had voted for Rouhani, there was a feeling of tremendous relief that Raisi, who criticized the nuclear deal with the United States and other Western powers, had lost.

The election outcome was widely seen as evidence that Iran’s society has changed radically over the past decades. Influenced by satellite television, cheaper internatio­nal travel, the Internet, waves of migration to big cities and access to higher education, most of Iranian society now adheres to middle-class values.

This collides with the reigning antiWester­n ideology and strict interpreta­tion of Islam that was represente­d by Raisi.

The big question is whether Rouha- ni will use his second term to focus on the economy, as he did after being elected in 2013, or whether he will also try to push the social reforms that his supporters are asking for.

“He faces a difficult task,” said Fazel Meybodi, a cleric from the city of Qom who supports reforms. He suggested there were many more demands than Rouhani could handle.

But people in the capital wanted to celebrate the victory — and voice a call for action. With files from Bloomberg

 ?? ATTA KENARE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES ?? It remains to be seen whether President Hassan Rouhani will use his second term to focus on the economy or try to push for social reforms.
ATTA KENARE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES It remains to be seen whether President Hassan Rouhani will use his second term to focus on the economy or try to push for social reforms.

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