What lies next for Iran now
DUBAI — After Iranian President Hasan Rohani’s electoral victory in Saturday, what’s next for the Islamic Republic? Here’s some things to watch for: Hardliners’ reaction Those backing Ebrahim Raisi will accept the results. However, hardliners within Iran’s judiciary and security services will continue to pressure Rohani in different ways. Even before the vote, hardline elements routinely detained dual nationals, likely seeking concessions from the West. Artists, journalists, models and others have been targeted in crackdowns on expression.
Hardliners probably will challenge Rohani in the country’s parliament, especially over social issues or any measure that appears to be accepting or promoting Western culture. The economy The nuclear deal with world powers allowed Iran to start selling its crude oil everywhere and the country quickly re-entered Europe and other key markets.
However, their re-entry comes as global crude prices remain stuck around $50 a barrel, about half the price when major sanctions began to bite.
Airbus and Boeing Co. have signed multi-billion-dollar deals with Iran since the accord as well. Iran was also reconnected to the international banking system. Even so, many other international firms remain hesitant to re-enter the Iranian market for fear of changing political winds that may usher in new sanctions, jeopardising their profits and any nascent ventures. Relations with the US Donald Trump long threatened to renegotiate the nuclear deal while on the campaign trail. His administration said it put Iran “on notice” in February after issuing a series of sanctions following ballistic missile tests. But since then, Trump’s administration has taken a key step toward preserving the accord. Relations with Saudi Arabia Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday is not going unnoticed by Iran. The kingdom and Iran haven’t had diplomatic relations since early 2016. That’s when Saudi Arabia executed a cleric and protesters in Iran attacked two of the kingdom’s diplomatic posts. The supreme leader Khamenei, 77, is only the second supreme leader in Iran’s history. There have been concerns about his health over the last few years.
He underwent prostate surgery in 2014. President is one of three members on a temporary council that takes over the supreme leader’s duties should his post become vacant. —