One year after his resounding 14 June election win (GSN 949/1), President Hassan Rouhani is arguably presiding over one of the most crucial moments in Iran’s recent history, with nuclear negotiations with the West at a much-anticipated turning point, and the country’s relations with the region and the United States poised to be recast by discussions around co-ordination in Iraq. Iranian officials are seeking to project an image of quiet confidence amid these fraught developments, with foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif turning down an appearance on BBC Newsnight on 16 June to watch Iran’s World Cup match against Nigeria. But, despite the widely circulated images of an Iranian negotiating team relaxing before a football match, Rouhani’s administration could not be more strained, especially on the domestic front.
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