Challenges await Iran’s new president

It took Rowhani just 2 days to make his appointments and announce his cabinet line-up, which includes first Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and 18 others.

Zarif is expected to take charge of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 - the US, the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany.

Minister of Petroleum Bijan Namdar Zananeh, who held this position for 8 years under former President Mohammad Khatami’s regime, will focus on improving relations with Iran’s partners in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and developing Iran’s energy sector.

Analysts describe Rowhani’s cabinet line-up as appropriate to salvage the national economy, which has been devastated by western sanctions, and to restore Iran’s global status.

Iran has, for the first time since the 1980s, recorded negative growth in two consecutive years. The unemployment rate has soared to 13% while inflation has increased to 40%, the highest in the region and perhaps the world.

Former Minister of Agriculture Issa Kalantari admitted that the new president will receive a nation empty in many areas including banking, treasury and seaports.

Just before Rowhani was sworn in, the US House of Representatives passed new sanctions against Tehran. The sanctions bill proposes cutting Iran’s oil exports by another million barrels a day in order to restrict the budget for Tehran’s nuclear programme. The move proves pending differences between Tehran and Washington and its allies.

Making progress in nuclear negotiations with the P5+1 group will be a difficult task for Rowhani, but this is the only way to persuade western countries to ease their sanctions against Iran.

In his first speech after winning the election, Rowhani said his government will take two steps on the nuclear front. It will demonstrate that Iran’s nuclear activities are in line with international practices to increase trust between Iran and the international community and it will resume negotiations with the P5+1.

However, any change in Iran’s stance toward western countries will need the consent of Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who is anti-western. Ali Khamenei has announced that Tehran will continue its uranium enrichment program until the Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Fereydoun Abbasi Davani confirms that the production of nuclear materials will be carried out in line with Iran’s set targets.

President Rowhani has begun his term with huge challenges and difficulties and Iranian voters are hoping that the new president will be able to weather the crisis.