Iran: The diplomatic sheikh

Hassan Rouhani earned his ‘diplomatic sheikh’ nickname from the Iranian press during his years as chief nuclear negotiator under President Mohammad Khatami. With Rouhani at the table, Iran came closer than ever in recent years to striking a deal with the West. But his agreement to suspend uranium enrichment during negotiations as a trust-building measure provoked major backlash in Iran, and was the first real blot on a long career in the top echelons of the security establishment.