Iran’s new President Rohani begins his four-year term; Supreme Leader: The people should support and help the new administration
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    • According to reports, Hassan Rohani began his tenure as Iran’s new president with a promise to work to ease crippling Western sanctions. He assumed office on August 4, 2013. Rohani formally took office at a ceremony in which he received the endorsement of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who retains the final say on all strategic issues, including the nuclear programme. Rohani, who is himself a former chief negotiator in the nuclear talks with the major powers, has vowed to engage more constructively with the international community. Over the past two years the sanctions have sent inflation soaring to more than 45 percent, while the rial lost nearly 70 percent of its value against the dollar and created double-digit unemployment. 1

    Meanwhile, according to reports, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has appealed that the people should support and help the new administration. The Leader said that he was not opposed to criticizing the performance of the administration, adding, “But, firstly, criticism and fault finding are different, and secondly, (the new administration) should be given time to work.” Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader pointed to the unrest which occurred after Iran’s 2009 presidential election and asked why those who claimed vote rigging did not apologize for creating serious problems for the country. “Why did those who claimed electoral fraud in the (2009) election take to the streets to deal with the issue?” Commenting on the Egyptian crisis, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “Today, the scene in Egypt is a painful scene, and this is due to the mistakes which have been made.” 2

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