“Hope and prudence!” won the day in Iran, as the newly elected president- Ahmadinejad’s successor - will be Hassan Rouhani. Campaigning on a centrist platform of greater personal freedoms, freeing political prisoners, economic improvement, and a reduction of nuclear tensions, the 65-year-old won amid a high turnout.
Despite the British Foreign Office‘s immediate outreach to Rouhani, the White House had more reserved feelings, claiming that the election happened “against the backdrop of a lack of transparency, censorship of the media, Internet, and text messages, and an intimidating security environment that limited freedom of expression and assembly.” However, the White House also said that it hopes “the Iranian government will heed the will of the Iranian people and make responsible choices that create a better future for all Iranians.”
Time will tell how the future of Iran turns out, of course, but for now, Ayatollah Khamenei is still calling the shots.
However, it looks like Rouhani is no Ahmadinejad. Sort of.